New York Night
by Gilmoregirl19
Summary: Rory & Logan meet two years after they break up at an Industry Party and hit it off immediately. Follow them through 9 months filled with romantic proposals, fantasy weddings, and backstabbing business deals. ROGAN-COMPLETE! Sequel called: New York Novel
1. Chapter 1

_**Hi, **_

_**You've might have clicked on this before – a long, long time ago – and clicked it away again because it was difficult to read because I was new to fan fiction and had no clue about dividers and such. I've decided to fix chapters 1 through 6 since this is the first story I've ever written on fan fiction, or anything else really... I just wanted to give my story the beginning it deserves!**_

_**Thanks a million for reading and enjoy! **_

_**With Love, **_

_**Gilmoregirl19 **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own GG**_

"Okay; see you Monday," Rory Gilmore said as she hung up the phone and breathed in slowly to calm down.

"New York, here I come," she thought to herself. Okay, so she would not be working for the New York Times, but a new, offbeat online magazine "Old York". She was not going to be doing anything fancy, but she was promised to write features and a daily column – sort of a small town, somewhat privileged girl meets big city life. This job is what she wanted after two years of campaign trailing. Currently, she was sitting in a bus in the middle of summer stuck in traffic in Missouri. She could not wait to leave the life of hotel rooms and gas station coffee behind.

A lot had changed in the past two years. Her Mom and Luke were back together, living together and staying together. She was happy for them. She could not help it. It was the kind of love she wanted to have some day. They had had their fair share of difficulties but they made it work. They connected and committed. "Maybe I should have committed." she thought bitterly.

If Logan had gotten his way, they probably would have been married and living in some penthouse apartment in San Francisco or wherever the winds had taken them after that. She loved him, but she could not have married him then and he did not want to go long-distance again. She had to let him go, and she thought she was over it.

She had moved on, hadn't she? She'd been with other men, a lot of other men. However, she had not been on a date in weeks after she realized that she would have gotten married to Logan this summer. A wedding takes at least two years to plan she remembered her grandmother saying.

A loud buzz yanked her out of her thoughts and back in reality. Traffic was moving again, and they were moving north. Rory flipped her phone open, "How can I be of service to you today?" she said teasing her mother Lorelai, who called her at least three times a day.

"Well, for starters you could have called me back after you had that job interview. I've been waiting to find out if we can call Daddy to put a down payment on a fabu New York loft?"

"Well, call Mr. Warbucks – I'm coming home," she screamed in the phone.

"Oh babe," Lorelai gushed. "That's awesome!"

* * *

**I HEART New York**

My name is Rory Gilmore and I heart New York.

That is probably one of the cheesiest first sentences for a first time column in the history of column writing but I simply do not care. I am in love with this city. And, even though we are just meeting, I am compelled to let you know the most important of my being. I LOVE coffee and since inquiring minds want to know – a splash of milk and no sugar.

Anyway, back to the point: I have been living on the road for the past two years and there are only so many sleazy motels that a girl can take. So maybe I just like my apartment, my bed and my bathroom. Oh, don't be mad, New York. I still love you! And, while we are on the subject of being honest I have one more confession to make. You are not my first love.

My heart belongs to Stars Hollow. I lost it there a long, long time ago. Whom, you ask? Stars Hollow, the epitome of Small Town America. You true New Yorkers out there are probably wondering why I could love Small Town America more than your _fabu_ city, but I cannot help it. Stars Hollow is non-stop entertainment and always a ton of fun. Have you ever seen New York been converted into a Hay Bale Maze? Plus, they have the best burgers in the world. My point exactly.

* * *

Logan sipped his coffee and read the column one more time.

"Wow," he thought, "her dreams are coming true."

Not that life had treated him badly, mind you. After the rejected proposal, he moved out to San Francisco, but he could not get used to the San Fran kind of life. He had taken some time off, to clear his mind and work in his 'idea book.' He had traveled the world but always stayed in touch with journalism - he had a subscription to all kind of papers and magazines.

Every so often, he would write an article or short story about his travels. When Travel Magazine shot him an email, inquiring if he was interested in doing some editorial work he jumped at the chance. He was tired of living out of his suitcase and wanted to put some stability back in his life. He had no idea that Rory would be in New York. He glanced down at his watch – 9.00 a.m. He was late for work.


	2. Chapter 2

After a long day of work, Rory returned to her loft, her mail in hand.

"Junk, junk, keep, bill, bill, bill…" she murmured to herself. "Oh, fancy letter!" she squealed as she tore open the thick cream white envelope.

_You are cordially invited to Travel Magazines Top 50 Online Magazines. _

_When: October 14__th_

_Where: Harrington Square Plaza_

_Time: 8:00 p.m._

It was her first paper soiree. All the big names in the industry would be there and it was exciting. Rory grabbed her phone.

"Hey you," the voice on the other end of the line exclaimed, "wasn't expecting to hear from you"

"Yeah, well," Rory sighed, "clothing emergency. I can't have a repeat of the dinner of '01"

"The dinner of '01," Lorelai gasped, "OH NO. This is big! Luckily, your mother has the gift of fashion. What's the occasion and more importantly, what are the choices?" she rambled.

"Uh, it's for this paper thing…It's not really a cocktail, well, it kind of is, I guess," Rory sighed as she tried to explain, "But it's more like a networking thing. All the big names in the industry will be there"

"All the names?" her mother asked curiously, "Also one that starts with Hu – and ends with unztsberger?"

Rory sighed into the phone, "I don't know Mom".

It was not as if this had not dawned on her before. She knew. The Huntzbergers _were_ the industry. They had to be there. She could face Mitchum, if she had to, but she couldn't bear running into Logan. But, then again, he probably would not be there. He could not stand his father and through talks with Finn she had come to understand Logan was travelling the world.

"Anyway, Mom, I don't think that HE is there, so it's okay. I can cope," she reassured her mother.

"Well, alright then," Lorelai sighed, not at all convinced her daughter was over said Huntzberger, but she decided to let it rest as there were more pressing matters at hand.

"What do I have to work with?" she asked.

"I've got a black cocktail dress, a grey skirt and a blouse, navy pantsuit, a baby blue cocktail dress, flats, heals …."

"Give me a minute; it's coming to me….," Lorelai cried dramatically, "Grab your slate grey frock with your black satin pumps; wear your hair in a low bun tucked under your left ear, and Grandma's long pearl earrings. No necklace, smoky eyes and, wait for it, wait for it, a dab of clear lip-gloss and your black satin clutch," Lorelai chuckled, "It's perfect for all the phone numbers you'll collect."

"Mom, that's magic! "You have the eye, my friend!" she quipped, "Hey, how'd you know about the grey dress?"

"It's all in a day's work, my love," Lorelai said, as she hung up the phone.

She got dressed and did her make-up. Her Mom was right she concluded as she gave herself an once-over. The grey strapless dress was cute for a party, but still business enough. Her high black heals and black clutched matched and in her hair she tied black satin ribbon that accentuated her cute sideways bun. Her mother would be proud. "Besides", she thought to herself, "if I run into HIM, I do not look like a total slob…."

* * *

He would recognize those electric blue eyes anywhere. Her dark brown hair tied loosely in a bun behind her left ear, her pale shoulders bare, her legs long in her heels. She smiled at whomever she was talking to and laughed.

A shiver went up his spine – Rory Gilmore was at Travel Magazine's 50 Best Online Magazines Party. Logan was not supposed to be at the party - he was supposed to be out of town, for business, but management wanted its newest editor to be at this bash. The man loved a good party, so he did not mind attending – he just never thought Rory would be at this particular gathering as well.

"Was Old York in the top 50?" he thought to himself.

Last time he checked they were on 78, which was by no means a bad position for a magazine that had not even reached its first birthday. But that still didn't explain why she was in attendance this evening.

"That's Rory Gilmore, Old York's columnist," Rich McNeal said from behind.

Logan immediately whipped his head around to listen to his boss. Rich McNeal owned Tavel Magazine.

"My wife's a big fan of her work", Rich continued, "So the old lady had me send her an invite. Want me to introduce you to?" he asked.

"No, man. I'm good," Logan replied informally, as he was accustomed to. "I've met Ms. Gilmore before," he clarified, noticing Rich's disappointed face.

"Oh, excellent" Rich said, perking up before downing is drink. "I'm off to find my wife," he said to Logan, as he took another flute of champagne off the tray that was being offered to them.

As Logan stood there alone he looked at Rory again. "God," he thought, "she really is gorgeous."

A whole rush of memories flooded his mind. The first time he laid eyes on her, the first time he called her Ace, their first date, the rocket ship, her pool house, his conversations with her Mom, their time apart, their living together, London, all the parties, the proposal. He felt a little lost when he thought of all that was and all that could have been.

He looked at her again, and this time all he thought of was all the sex.

* * *

That messy blond hair was the first she spotted, and honestly that was all she needed to see. Logan was here.

"Shit," she murmured. He was the only person in the world she did not want to see. She could finally admit that she was not over him, despite pretending to be. Even though she rejected the proposal, she still wanted to try to work things out. She regretted that she did not try harder. She wished she had called, or had written or done something!

If she saw him, she knew that she would fall in love all over again, something that she could not deal with. She looked at him harder this time. He was wearing a dark blue suit, and looked even sexier than she remembered him.

"God, this night was going to be difficult," she thought.

For a moment she let her mind wander, reminiscing about their first date and the first time he called her Ace and everything that they had meant to each other and how intimate they had been. She bit her bottom lip at the thought, and smiled coyly.

"Well, it's nice to see you are enjoying yourself, Ms. Gilmore," a man's voice said to her.

Startled by this rude awakening, she looked at the man. "Yes, it's a lovely party" she replied politely.

"I'm Rich McNeal – Travel Magazine. Maybe you've heard of us," he said, extending his hand.

She stared at him; she could tell he had been drinking.

"Nice to meet you, sir" She stuck out her hand and he immediately shook it enthusiastically, not letting go as he continued, ""My old lady, my wife Adriane is a BIG BIG BIG fan of yours, ever since the campaign trail, she read everything. But that quaint column of yours, about Starry Hollows cracks her up, without fail."

"Oh, my," Rory said, a little startled at this larger-than-life persona, "I've just started out, you know, so I wasn't aware I had fans. You know – except for my mom, grandparent and people of Stars Hollow."

"Ha, ha," Rich laughed, "Humor is important in the biz. Would you like to meet my wife, your first true fan?" he asked with a bright smile.

* * *

"So, the way she goes on and on about this mayor. Taylor. Extraordinary. I was always a city gal myself, but thanks to her I want to move to Small Town America" Adriane boomed. "What about you, Lo?" she asked, playfully poking her stubby finger in his side.

Clearly, she had been drinking too much Logan observed, but still it was nice to have some company – even if he had to talk about his extremely recent obsession.

"Oh, look, doll face" Rich yelled, "There's the love of my life now," Rory stopped dead in her tracks – next to the love of Rich's life was hers.

"Shit, shit, and shit!" she thought. She looked at him. God was he perfect. She closed her eyes, breathed in, grabbed some champagne from the nearby tray and put on a brave face.

"Logan! Long time no see. Weren't you off jetting around the world?"

He was baffled. Her tone was warm and happy. Friendly even, as if nothing had happened between them. Like, she broke his heart and he crushed hers in return. He wanted to say so much, tell her he was sorry – that he had meant to call, write, or send out smoke signals or something. That he regretted that he proposed that he still wanted her. Badly. Especially tonight. Especially in that dress.

"Wow, Ms. Gilmore" he replied, surprising himself at how casual he sounded, "just got back, actually."

There was an awkward silence. Shake her hand, kiss her cheek, or give her a hug? Since she acted as if they were old friends he thought a peck on the cheek would be appropriate. Besides, he really wanted to kiss her. He leaned in a pecked her check. As he leaned closer, she could smell his body. Never one to wear cologne, but he always smelled of bar soap and hair product. Oh, how she loved his smell.

"So," Adriane boomed as she grabbed yet another champagne flute, "you to just make a darling couple."

Rory and Logan laughed awkwardly.

"Well, it's something, my favorite editor and my wife's favorite columnist," Rich said, bobbing his head in contemplation, "I mean, Logan is amazing. The things he's doing for the Magazine. Incredible!"

"Yeah, he's, uh, it's, pretty amazing," Rory blushed. Logan's heart jumped a beat.

"Oh, there's Melanie from Off-Centre, come on, darling" Rich exclaimed, dragging his wife towards an unsuspecting Melanie.

"You kids have fun tonight!" Adriane managed to call out over her shoulder.

Now, Logan and Rory were alone. It was awkward but comfortable at the same time. By now Rory's champagne flute was empty, and Logan was in dire need of some liquor.

"Hey, you want a refill?" Logan offered.

"Oh, uh, no, I've already had one too many…," Rory said, clenching her empty flute, "Maybe just a…"

"Bubbly Water?" he finished her sentence, "No problem, Ace. I'll be right back and we talk, you know, if you'd like…"

That would be nice," Rory said, shooting him an involuntary smile, "You know I don't really know anyone here."

It was a lie, she knew a handful of people, but she really wanted to talk – to be -with Logan – especially since he remembered that she switched to Bubbly Water when she was boozed out and, more importantly, he had called her Ace. And that, that had to count for something.


	3. Chapter 3

"One Bubbly Water for the hardworking columnist," he said as he handed her the drink "and one scotch neat for me." He laughed.

He took a sip of his drink and looked her in the eye. "You know, I really did not expect you to be here tonight. I mean, I knew you worked for Old York, but still," he paused, as he realized he was nervous, "Your column was good by the way. No way that New York beats Taylor's Hay Bale Maze!" he laughed.

She laughed with him and was pleasantly surprised he had followed her work.

"So, what do you do now?" Rory asked. He may have kept track of her work; she had no clue what Huntzberger was up to these days.

"You know, I travelled," he shot her a soft smile, "I am sure Finn told you, and once in a while I would write... about how the Berlin Wall still affects Berlin, or how rock climbing in Turkey is or that the Great Wall is a total tourist trap. And a couple of weeks ago Rich sent me an email, that he was stepping back and needed a new editor. We met, we clicked, I'm here."

"Oh, wow, that amazing…" Rory breathed. She bit her lip, and looked at him. "Look, I'm really sorry, I …." she trailed off.

He cocked his head to the side, and looked at her. "Let's not talk about it here. Want to get some coffee, or something?" Rory looked at her glass and then around the room, finally she stared at him. 'I'd love to"

* * *

The sun was shining through the window and onto her face. She stirred and finally awoke. She was in her own apartment, but something was off. It all came back to her in a rush.

Logan!

He was at the party, and they met.

They talked.

They had coffee.

They had drunk.

They had sex.

She needed coffee.

She stumbled out bed and made her way into the kitchen. As if on autopilot, she found a filter and generously scooped the coffee grounds into the machine. She filled the thing with water, flipped on the switch and waited for her drink to be ready.

As she waited she grabbed some milk out of the fridge and opened the cupboard to find her favorite Yale coffee mug. It was not there. She yawned as she opened the dishwasher to see if she left it there, it also wasn't there. Looking up, confused, she saw it on the counter top, next to the toaster, with a pack of strawberry pop tarts. The pop tarts were placed in the mug, attached to them a note – from Logan.

_Good Morning, Ace._

_Did not want to wake you, but did not want to leave you hanging either._

_Figure you'd need some coffee and a pop tart, so you'd find the note here._

_Last night was great, my cell is 982 76540 since you didn't have it ;)_

_Talk to you soon, I hope. - Logan_

This was all too much for a girl to take, without having coffee. The sounds emerging from the coffee pot let her know her drink was finished and not a moment too soon. She ripped open her pop tart packet – she liked them cold – and took an enormous sip of her coffee. Then, last night's events came to her.

* * *

_They left the party and went to a small coffee shop. It was the kind that Rory loved at first glance, but after being there for a while, she hated it. The quasi-cultural décor, the big couches, the laptops, it was too much, too fake. Still, she had to have coffee and this place provided. _

_Logan and Rory had talked the whole way, about life in general, his travels, her travels, politics, war, TV-shows and movies they had recently seen, books she had just read, interesting articles he had written. Everything was covered, except for that what had drove them apart. _

_Rory paused to take a sip of her third cup of coffee; Logan was still nursing his first. He was never able to keep up with Rory when it came to coffee. Just as he was about to comment on the coffee their graying, middle-aged waitress came over and said in a heavy New York accent: "Sorry, kids, but its closing time. Here's your check" and with that she dropped the check on the table. _

_Rory got her credit card out of her clutch – it was too small to carry her wallet, but Logan ordered jokingly: "Put that away. I'll get it." _

"_No, Logan. Its okay – it's not like this was a date or something."_

_As she said that, she realized that it was true. Of course, she knew they were not together anymore, but this night, being here with him, talking like old times. It overwhelmed her. _

"_Hey, don't worry about it. I'm just going to go pay, and we'll blow this joint," he said in a relaxed tone, and punched her should playfully. _

_She flashed a quick smile and watched him pay. She really had been having a good time tonight and she wondered what it would be like if she never had rejected his proposal. But, she did not have him anymore. Hell, she did not even have his number. _

"_Hey, don't look so bummed. We'll get coffee somewhere else," Logan said upon returning and he started putting on his jacket. Clearly, he was not ready to call it a night. _

"_Oh, it's not that … I…," Rory self-consciously brushed a strand of stray hair behind her ear, "I just realized that I don't have your cell number." _

"_Well, maybe if you're lucky I'll give it to you." He flashed his cocky smile, put his arm around her shoulder and lead her into the New York night. _

_The bars were the only place still open and in Rory and Logan's eyes, the night was still young, and there was enough alcohol in the city to keep them busy for a while. The more they drank, the more the mood changed. _

_During coffee, they were relaxed with each other, but friendly – now they were becoming emotional. Emotions and liquor proved to be very dangerous. Lust and anger filled the air. _

_He wanted her from the moment he had seen her electric blue eyes, and she frankly wanted him very since she smelled him during the quick peck on the cheek. They had started acting flirty towards each to other. Everything was going well. _

_As Rory downed her third shot, she bluntly said, "You know, if I accepted your proposal, we would have been married by now. Probably some fancy affair at the Cape, Emily had wanted that." _

_Logan's drunken eyes looked at her. "Well, it's not my fault, is it?" he hissed. It came out meaner than he had meant but he was still hurt. And this night and the flirting had made it worse._

"_Oh, come on. That's not fair – and you know it," she said, pounding her glass on the table, "I was not ready. I wanted to travel, become something. I wanted to be with you. I wanted long-distance," Rory shot back. _

"_Yeah, well… I did not. I committed, you couldn't." He had raised his voice. _

"_Logan, I'm sorry" she sighed. _

"_Damn it, Rory. I loved you. I… I haven't been serious about anyone since". He looked down at his drink. _

_She was going to shoot back a nasty comment, but instead she looked at him. He looked so sad, and broken in that moment. She got up off her chair and wobbled over to him. He looked up. Electricity was in the air and without hesitation or question – she kissed him, full on the lips._

_Stunned for maybe a second, he welcomed her familiar tongue in his mouth. They kissed until oxygen was in short supply and as their foreheads touched, she said: "I've missed you,Logan. I'm sorry. I haven't even looked at another guy since you," she smiled, and he smiled back. _

"_I've missed you too, Ace." _

_And, with that they prepared for a round two. Not long thereafter Logan paid for the drinks and they made their way to Rory's apartment. She unbuttoned his shirt in the elevator, he started unzipping her dress, they finished undressing each other as they made their way to her bed. And there they made love, as they had many times before._

Rory looked around at her apartment. So, that's why her bra was dangling from the lamp shade and her dress was crumbled up by the floor. She smiled; she had slept better than she had for the last two years. She read the note again, and grabbed her phone. First, she programmed in the new number and then she pressed the green button.

* * *

"Hello" he picked up the phone.

"Hey you!" she said excitedly.

"I take it you found the note," Logan laughed.

"Uh, yeah… I did. Thanks for putting it by the pop tarts".

"I remembered," he grinned and nodded his head. "But, I'm kind of supposed to be in a meeting, now. So, can I call you back?" he whispered his question.

The last thing she wanted was to keep him from his work.

"Sure, I'm around… maybe we can meet for drinks later?" she suggested.

"Ah, no can do, Ace" he replied. "But I'll talk to you soon."

"Uh, okay." She was confused. "Talk to you later."

Did they just not spend the night together? Hadn't they talked about their break-up and weren't they still in love with each other? Just as she started to freak out, her phone buzzed. She flipped it open and saw a text message from him.

_Ace, didn't want to blow you off, but I'm in a meeting in Boston. Flew down this morning. Am here for three days. Hating my life , right now ;) Call you later. Can't wait for a repeat of last night. XX_

It was not a literary masterpiece, but it explained it. Rory had nothing to worry about; Logan still loved her, and could not wait to be back in her arms. She smiled, finished her coffee and jumped in the shower.

* * *

As he checked into his hotel room late that afternoon, his mind was racing. Rory was back in his life and he felt better than ever. He wanted to take it slow – even though they both knew that the love they once had was still there. It was alive and kicking, last night proved that. He took his phone out of his pocket and dialed.

"Rory Gilmore, speaking"

"My, my, working hard," he teased her. "Hardly working, on this side."

"Logan, how'd you get my work number?" she practically squealed

He was happy she was so delighted, and loved that she thought he jumped through hoops to find her number, instead he replied honestly, "Your website, no fancy wooing tricks there, Ace!" He let out a heartfelt laugh.

She leaned back in her swivel chair. "So, what's up?" she asked.

"Nothing," he replied. "Just wanted to hear your voice." He sighed. "Wow, did I just make it to the number one spot on the lamest things to say, or what?" he chuckled.

"It's alright," she smiled, "I was just behind you" she grinned.

As they talked about their days, she cleaned up her desk, logged off her computer and walked the few blocks home to her apartment. She could talk to him all day. It sucked that he was in Boston, on business. Why did he have to write for that blasted travel magazine? After about two hours on the phone, Rory had to go. Old York was having a team building session. Logan sighed and said that he would just have to make do with hotel television and room service.

Before Rory had to leave, just knew she had to call her Mom. Even if she and Logan weren't making their way down the aisle any time soon, her Mom still needed to know.


	4. Chapter 4

"Your wish is my command" Lorelai cheerily answered the phone.

"Mom," Rory exclaimed, "I cannot believe you pick up the phone like that! What if there are crazy axe men on the other end?"

"Oh, New York really sucked all the fun out of you" Lorelai mock-pouted.

"Well, not totally…." Rory began.

"Oh, right!" Her mom interrupted, "Your fancy party! How'd the slate grey work out?"

"Yeah, it was fine, Mom," she sighed. "Look, I met someone," she stated matter-of-factly.

"Oh." Her mother was shocked. As far as Lorelai knew Rory hadn't been with anyone since Logan. If Lorelai only knew – but Rory could not bring it to tell her Mom she slept with half the men on the campaign trail.

Her mother was happy Rory was ready to date again, but the fact the she said it like that made Lorelai wonder if something, more was going on.

"So?" Lorelai questioned. "What's this boy toy like? Does he have a brother?"

"Mom! You can't be asking about other boy's brothers! You're with Luke now, remember?"

"Oh, darn it! Lorelai teased. "I was looking forward to the awkward getting-to-know-you-and-your-crazy-habits stages of dating.

"Mom." The seriousness was back in her daughters voice. "It wasn't just some guy. It was Logan. Logan-I-want-to-make-you-my-wife-love-me-love-you-forever. _That_ Logan!"

"Oh, that Logan," her mother deadpanned. "I did not know how many Logan's you knew."

Lorelai frowned. It had taken her a long time to warm up to Logan and she was never really too happy that he proposed. She just did not want to see her daughter be crushed again.

"So, tell mommy what happened"

Rory explained everything to her mother. How she looked like a dream in the gray dress, how hot he looked in the navy blue suit, the champagne, the coffee, the talking, the crying, the making up, the sex. Her mother listened the whole time, without interjecting. Once Rory finished it stayed quiet on the other end for a few minutes.

"Mom, you still there?" Rory questioned.

"Yeah, hon. I'm here. It's quite a story. I don't know what to say," she sighed, "I mean, obviously you aren't over him and he isn't over you, but what's to say you won't get hurt again?"

Now it was Rory's turn to stay silent for a while as she mulled over her mother's words.

"Look, Mom. I know it's sudden and weird and unpredictable. I don't know. I, I guess I still love him. Maybe this is just for closure, maybe it'll stick. But I want to find out," she finally replied.

"Okay, then. I trust you," Lorelai said. "Just one more question."

"Yeah?"

"You were safe, right?"

"Mom" Rory sighed. Mothers will always be Mothers. "Of course" she answered firmly. She glanced at the clock; she was going to be late for that stupid teambuilding thing.

"Look, Mom. I have to go! Talk to you!" And with that she was out the door.

Logan returned from Boston a few days later. Rory had gone over to his place for dinner on the eve of his return and the pair had talked more about their past. They agreed to let the past behind them.

They were young, too young to commit and too young to know better. They had blamed each other for things no one could have been blamed for. Now, they were two years older and two years wiser. They had agreed on taking it slow, dating as they had in college and seeing where the road would take them. As a result of them taking it slow, Rory returned to her own apartment that night and all of the sudden her Mother's question hit her: "You were safe, right?"

A wave a panic washed over her. Were we safe? Did we use a condom? She dashed over to her night table and counted the condoms in a box she kept there – twenty-four of them. No, that could not be right. She stood up and let herself fall on the bed.

She thought.

Before Logan she had slept with Dennis, some guy from some bar. Not one of her finest moments, she winced as she thought of it. But, he came with a condom and before that she had bought new ones. So, twenty-four had to be right, if Logan also used one of his own. There was no way she could find out, either, since she had just taken out all her trash.

She would have to ask Logan. She bit her lip. Could she be pregnant? She thought it over and she honestly didn't know. If she was, it was too late to do anything about it. The morning after-pill wasn't a possibility anymore so she would just have to wait and see if – no, _when_, - her period came. Until then, she decided, she would not tell Logan. No need to worry him, and besides he probably used a condom, right?

* * *

Logan and Rory were lounging on the couch. Rory was watching E's 101 Best Celebrity Weddings, and he was playing with her hair, pretending to be interested in the show.

He let his thoughts wonder. He and Rory had been back together for a little over two weeks. Hell, they were practically living together. Half his stuff was at her place and they were just so comfortable with each other, it was as if they had never broken up. They spent most of their time being together like this, watching a movie, eating or playing in bed. The show ended with one of Donald Trumps' weddings, and Rory exclaimed: "When I get married, I'll never spend that much money! What a waste!"

He laughed; she looked so cute when she was all worked up like that "Good to know, Ace," he laughed as he eyes followed her as she moved away from he couch.

"Oh, seriously need some coffee," she yawned as she shuffled over to the kitchen. "You know," she started to say as she looked around the apartment.

One of Logan's overnight bags was on a chair in a corner, another one on the floor and she knew there were two more in her, or should she say _their, _bedroom.

"Yeah?" he asked.

"You should move in here" she stated matter of fact-ly. "All your crap is here anyway!"

He deadpanned, "Well, that's seems like a good reason to me, you know – not that we love each other or anything – but, hey, if my crap is here, might as well stay, huh Ace?"

They both laughed; a loud cell phone buzz put an end to the laughter.

"Hey Mom," Rory said into the phone. "Yeah, Logan's here. Yes, _again," _she sighed.

Lorelai had thought Rory was moving too fast with Logan. Of course, they knew each other, they were comfortable but to jump head of heals into a relationship could not be good Lorelai reasoned.

Logan knew that Lorelai was not really thrilled about the rekindled relationship so he jotted something on a piece of scrap paper and tossed it to Rory.

"Really? That Taylor would say such a thing…." Rory said absentmindedly to her mother as she unfolded her boyfriends note:

_Ask Lorelai if she wants to meet us for dinner soon, or we meet with here. We should meet!!!_

Rory read the note, and shrugged.

"Oh, Mother" she sang into the phone. "My bo…. she hesitated – she didn't really want to call him boyfriend yet to her mother, …"Logan," she corrected, "wants to know you'd like to meet us for dinner sometime soon, or would you be willing to have us? I have not been to Stars Hollow in ages!"

She waited a beat before turning to Logan, ""Wednesday, seven pm at Luke's?"

Logan nodded confirmatory. "Works for us," Rory said with a smile. "See you soon, Mom!"

Rory poured her coffee and made her way over to Logan, placed her mug on the coffee table and sat on his lap and looked him in the eye.

"Well, Mister, that was mighty nice of you," she said in her best Southern accent.

"Yeah, well," he responded somewhat sheepishly. "I don't want to be living together without your Mom being cool with it…"

He looked up to see her smiling. "That's why I love you," she said sincerely and crushed her lips against his for a passionate kiss.

* * *

The following Wednesday the couple made their way from New York City to Stars Hollow. A long the way they picked up some doughnuts for Lorelai. The first ten minutes of the get-together between mother, daughter and the previously ex-boyfriend were somewhat awkward, so when Rory got up to use the restroom Logan had made it clear that he and Rory had closed that chapter and moved on.

They had found peace with the past, she was sticking around and so was he. Lorelai was not impressed by his words so much, but more by the passion in his eyes and especially after Rory returned she was touched by they way they acted around each other.

It was not young love, as it was the first time he came to Stars Hollow. It was serious, grown up, his-and-her towels kind of love. It was what she and Luke had. It took a long time for them to reach it, so Lorelai could relate to this couple's situation.

The rest of the dinner went smoothly and just as Lorelai was getting pie and ice cream Lane and her boys' barged in.

"Auntie Rory!" they yelled. The two old friends took over pie slicing duties from Lorelai, who, in turn sat down next to Logan.

Using her sincerest voice she looked the young man in the eyes and said: "She's all yours" and smiled.

Logan breathed out, as if he had been holding his breath for the whole evening, kissed Lorelai's check and thanked her.

That weekend Rory, Logan, Colin and Finn moved the rest of Logan's stuff to Rory's. Logan and Rory had decided on temporarily keeping Logan's apartment the way the housing market was, Logan was subletting it to an older couple whom had always wanted to live in the city.

That night, in between moving boxes, Logan opened a bottle of champagne and they toasted to the future, he kissed her and as the kiss grew into more, he picked her up and carried her to the bedroom.


	5. Chapter 5

Rory woke up to the smell of freshly brewed coffee, eggs and bacon. Normally that smell would lure her right into the kitchen, but today it just made her sick to her stomach. She jolted out of bed, and ran straight to the bathroom. She vomited right into the toilet.

"Ace," Logan called out worriedly, "You okay?" He hoped Rory was not sick, he was making a special six week anniversary brunch. He did not want her day ruined.

He walked into the bathroom to find Rory, white as a sheet, against the tub.

"I guess I've got a bug or something," she shrugged her shoulders.

"Hey, you sure you're okay? Want some Tylenol or something?" he offered.

He did not like seeing Rory ill, but he was not good at being a nurse either. He felt sort of lost and helpless.

"No, it's okay. I'm just going to go back to bed."

He helped her back into bed, and just as she was comfortable, she jolted up.

"Logan, what date is it today?" she practically yelled at him

"Sunday, Ace. Do you have a fever or something?" he was puzzled.

"No, no. The date D-A-T-E, not day D-A-Y" she spelled.

"Uh, the 21st I guess," he shrugged his shoulders.

"Why, you've got a deadline? Babe, if you're sick, you're sick. You can't write now." He was trying to coax her back to bed, but she was already up, digging through her laptop bag.

"You guess or you know?" she demanded. "I need my date book."

She was frantic. She found the little pink book with a small daisy and flipped through the pages, frowned, and flipped through them again. She swallowed hard, closed her date book and looked at him.

"Logan, I'm late" she said in a state of shock. He rushed towards his clearly distraught girlfriend.

"Ace, it's okay. You are late for a deadline. It's not the end of the world. It's okay you are sick. What are they going to do?" he smiled reassuringly as he pulled her into a hug.

"No, no." She was at a loss for words. This guy was Yale educated and thought she was late for a _deadline! _

"You don't understand. I'm not late. I'm_ late"._

She emphasized the last late, gave him a look and gestured towards her stomach, hoping he would catch on. Instead, he just stared blankly at her.

"For my period!" she exclaimed as she stood up. She could not think clearly, she needed coffee. She feverishly began dumping coffee grounds in the filter.

Logan did not understand what just happened, and why Rory was so upset. What was the big deal about being late; the momentary monthly craziness would be a little late this month. What was the problem?

Rory dropping the coffee ground tin and leaping for the bathroom snapped back into reality. After she threw up for the second time that morning, he brought her back to bed. He still was not one hundred percent sure what Rory's morning sickness had to do with being late, but as soon as that thought crossed his mind he had an epiphany: Rory thought she was pregnant.

"Hey," he said as he crawled in next to her in bed, "what's wrong?"

He rubbed her back as her eyes started to tear up. She placed her head on his shoulder, "I think I might be…. pregnant" she whispered. "I… we… I thought… safe…"

She really wasn't sure was she was trying to say, and a tear fell from her eye.

Logan, however, did know what to say.

"Ace," he said "I always thought you would mother, my, our children. I thought it would be later, but our whole relationship has been warp speed since we got back together. Maybe it was meant to be…"

He wiped another tear from her cheek. It was silent for a while, as they both thought about what he had said. Rory was slightly reassured. Logan wanted to be a Dad, and he wanted children, not just a child. He was okay with it. Rory thought he was ready to be a Dad, but she was not sure if _she_ was ready to be a Mom.

Logan, on the other hand, was not so sure about what he just said. Okay, yes, one day he wanted to be a Dad, but much later, not right after getting back together with Rory. He hugged her tighter.

"I thought we were being safe?" he questioned to break the silence.

His voice wasn't angry, or accusing. He was generally wondering how it could have happened. When did they forget? Was Rory not on the Pill? Rory had calmed down and looked down at her off-white comforter.

"I went off the Pill a while ago, when I realized you and I would have been married this summer. I, uh, was sleeping around a lot after you. Trying to forget, trying to get over you. After, I realize that half the campaign crew had been with me I took a vow of celibacy," she rambled, "That's why I quit the campaign, I wasn't taken seriously anymore. My writing, maybe," she paused and looked him in the eye "But I wasn't."

Her words were strung with remorse, embarrassment and pain.

"I took the job at "Old York' just to escape, that it was in New York was a bonus," she continued with her story, "I, uh, on my first night – about 2 months before the party we met. I went out, got really wasted and went home with some guy – Dennis. We had sex… he didn't even spend the night."

She fiddled anxiously with the comforter. "He used his own condom, I didn't even have any. I was so stupid, Logan," she said, looking up at him. "I, I was so scared after him. I, I went to get tested – I was clean, and bought a family size box of condoms, just in case…" she smiled weakly, but his eyes were laced with hurt and sorrow.

She continued, "I, uh, was meaning to get back on the Pill, but I…. I don't know."

She ran her hands through her hair, and pulled her legs up to her chest. She was back on the verge of tears.

Rory and Logan had talked about their relationships in the time they were not together, but Logan had never known to what extent she had been with other men. Rory on the other hand knew about Logan's sexual past. He was upfront about that the first time they reconnected. He even joked: "I hope I still know how to do this".

Logan had had a one-night stand in San Francisco and had kissed a handful of other girls, but every time it felt like he was cheating on Rory – he could never push through with the actual deed. He practically was a born again virgin until he had met Rory at the party that night. Without a doubt, her confession shocked him.

Of course, he hadn't expected her to take up knitting and wait for him, but all the reckless sex was a side of Rory he never could imagine. However, he reasoned, if she was indeed pregnant, it was obviously his child and this was something he would have to put behind him.

"Look, Rory" he began hesitantly. "I'm not mad. How could I be, we weren't together! Hell, it was not even in the cards. You didn't know I was living in New York," he paused, "I would be lying if I thought the reckless, sex - unprotected sex - on your behalf, and with guys you don't even know was a good idea and I'd certainly hope our daughter would know better. But you were hurt." He gave shot her a half-smile, "I'm sorry."

He wasn't quite sure why he was apologizing but it felt appropriate.

Rory blinked "Daughter?"

Logan blushed a bit and kissed her forehead, "Maybe I'm getting ahead of myself, but you know what I mean, Ace" He looked her sternly in the eyes. "So, I guess it must have been our second first time then? Even though you had that family size box of condoms stashed away in your nightstand?" he asked half jokingly.

Rory shrugged. 'I guess so'. She backed up so her back was resting on his chest, and he draped his arm around her, gently stroking her stomach. They sat in silence for a while.

"Well" he said finally. 'I guess we're going to have to get out of bed and down to the drugstore to find out if we are going to have a daughter.

'Or a son" Rory looked up.

"Yeah, or a son" Logan smiled, "But no way in hell are we calling him Dennis!" he said seriously, but with a twinkle in his eye.

"Coffee, my dear Ace?" he asked as they made their way from the bedroom to the kitchen. Just as he uttered the words 'coffee' she turned sharply and made her ran towards the bathroom.

Logan swallowed hard. "I doubt we'll need that test, Ace," he yelled as he followed her back into the bathroom.

Once she was done vomiting and brushing her teeth for the third time that morning she was weeping again. Logan had never has such an emotional morning in his life.

"_It_ doesn't like coffee" she wailed and pointed down at her stomach.

"Ace, come on, you don't know that for sure. And besides, _if _you are pregnant you really shouldn't be drinking caffeine."

And with that she cried harder as she buried her head in his T-shirt.

"Sssh," he held her in his arms, until she had calmed down a bit. "Why don't you take a shower, I'll run out and get a test. Then we'll know for sure, and figure out what to do about eating and drinking, okay?"

She pulled back from their embrace and sniffled; glad he was taking the whole possible-pregnancy really well, giving her room to freak out.

"Let me change my shirt, and slip on some jeans," he said.

Rory looked down at his shirt; her tears stained half of it. "I'm sorry," she said as she touched his chest lightly.

He just smiled, pulled off his shirt and said: "Can I bring back anything for you? Any particular cravings?"

Her tongue touched her lip unconsciously as she said it: "Just you."

He laughed as it was the last thing he expected her to say.

"Ah, we can take care of that." He leant in as if he was going to kiss her, but didn't, "We can take care of that..."

But before he was done talking, she kissed him, long and appreciative. He could have jumped in the shower with her, now, but he needed to contain himself, he pulled back, and knelt down. He seductively lifted her pajama top up, so her midriff was bare, pointed at her stomach and said "…later"

He smirked, kissed her stomach ever so lightly, walked out of the room, grabbed her cell phone from the charger and placed it in her hands. "If you get any other kind of craving's while I'm out, or if there's a problem. Call me. I'll run home" he said, and pecked her cheek lightly.

Rory leaned against the sink as she heard Logan shut the door. She knew she was pregnant every since she realized they had had unprotected sex. She was just able to push that thought to the back of her mind until this morning.

She just turned 25 so she was not too young to have a baby. She and Logan were committed, even though it was still fresh. She rubbed her eyes, it was just so, unplanned, unexpected. It was too soon.

She tried to calm down. Logan seemed happy about it. He jumped right in there when she needed him the most. He wanted to be a Dad.

She stripped down, and stood in the shower. The warm water relaxed her and as she dried off, and changed into her Yale Sweats she was feeling more and more at ease with the thought of possibly being a mother. She tied her still damp hair in a messy bun and got back under the covers. Last night she had started writing her column, and as she looked through her notes and booted up her laptop, she had subconsciously placed her hand over her stomach.


	6. Chapter 6

"So, it turned pink," Logan said while studying the home pregnancy test. "What's that mean?"

Rory was sitting on the cold bathroom floor, Indian style, studying the instruction booklet. She had given him the little stick to hold while they waited for the result since she was too scared to look.

"If it turns pink you are knocked up. Your life as you know it is over," she mock-read from the booklet.

He laughed, as he held out his hand to help Rory get up from the bathroom floor. He pulled her into a strong hug, rubbing her back, "I love you, Ace. This will be okay," he whispered reassuringly in her ear.

She pulled away from the embrace, and kissed his lips lightly. "I know" she nodded, bit her lip slightly and sighed, "I am just so scared. I mean, I've haven't even made a baby pro-con list!" she said seriously.

He now placed his arm around her shoulder, as he led her out of the bathroom. 'It'll be okay," he said again, perhaps more for himself than for her, because right now he needed to believe everything would be okay. The idea of actually being a father freaked the living daylights out

The thing that scared him the most was turning out like his Dad. Once, when they had talked about children in college, Rory said that Logan could never be like Mitchum, but Logan worried that "bad dad disease" ran deep in Huntzberger blood. He was not sure if he would be able to break the mold.

Still, this was a worry he did not want to confront Rory with since she was still wrestling with the whole idea of being a Mom. He wanted her to be comfortable before he could have his own personal freak-out.

"I'm hungry," Rory stated, looking up at Logan as they made their way from the bathroom into the living area.

"Those eyes say: "Please make me brunch", right? Logan teased.

"Oh, you know me so well," she laughed back.

"Well, you are getting toast and tea."

She looked at him shocked, "What, no bacon, eggs, coffee?" she questioned

"No, no, don't pull the doe-eyes," he warned as he pointed at her stomach, "Bambino obviously does not like the stuff," he winked, "Smart Kid."

Rory plopped down on the couch dramatically: "It's probably just a phase. It obviously needs to get used to the fine, delicious taste of a good cup of Hot Delicious Coffee."

She lied on the couch playfully arguing about caffeine during pregnancy with Logan, when she shot up.

"Oh my God," she exclaimed, "We have to tell my Mom, the Grandparents."

She frantically got up off the couch. "Logan! Your parents don't even know were _together_." Her eyes grew wider.

"Shit" he mumbled.

The past few weeks they had been living in their own world. He had not really talked to Finn and Colin since he moved in and they had only seen Lorelai twice. Rory had seen her grandparents at bi-monthly Friday night dinners; it was something all the Gilmores had grown accustomed to since Rory had moved to New York. Emily had changed the schedule from once a week to once every two weeks, but Rory still hadn't told Emily or Richard that she was back with Logan.

It was too much pressure. They had been disappointed about the rejected proposal. Emily even going so far as to say it was _Rory's fault _and that if she had been in that position she would have _altered _her dreams, since he was a Huntzberger after all. Rory was shocked by her Grandmother's confession and dinners had been icy for a while after that.

They all had been getting along great the last few months, so she really did not want to jeopardize it by bringing Logan into the whole mix, again. Besides, if the elder Gilmores knew, the news would get back to Shira and Mitchum at the drop of a hat, something Logan desperately wanted to avoid. Contact with his parents had been rather shallow as well.

They had taken the break-up well, since they never really warmed up to the Gilmore girl. Shira and Mitchum wanted a trophy wife, someone to sit there and look pretty by Logan's side, someone to organize parties and have manicures while Logan was away on business, preferably _family_ business trips. Mitchum wanted Logan to come back to the Huntzberger Publishing Group, but Logan could not and would not be persuaded. He fought his whole life to get out of his father's grip, so there was no way he would willingly walk back in there.

He had not talked to his parents since he accepted the job at Travel Magazine. There was no possible way for him to keep his relationship with Rory and baby a secret. He would have to tell his parents, eventually, but certainly not today. He ran he hand through his hair, and sighed.

"I'm going to have to tell my parents." His tone was childish, and whiny. "I don't want to," he pouted.

Rory chuckled, and kissed his forehead. "It'll be okay, babe. I know it will".

The rest of the day they spent watching old movies, ordering take out and being together, savoring this day, the day they found out that their lives, as they knew it, were permanently changed forever. So, it wasn't the anniversary celebration Logan had prepared, but it was perfect nonetheless.

* * *

The following morning Logan awoke to the sound of a retching Rory and the faint smell of coffee.

"Ace," he called from their bed, "You okay?"

His question was answered by the sound of a flushing toilet. Rory emerged from the bathroom, climbed back into bed and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I just wanted some coffee," she offered as an explanation.

"Ace," he warned somewhat concerned, "you know you can't. Do not make yourself sick. I'll quit the coffee with you, okay?"

She looked at him shocked, "But you love coffee!"

"Yeah, but I love you more."

Sure, Logan really liked coffee, but he did not depend on it like Rory. Secretly, the first thing he drank in the morning was a cup of hot tea, before Rory was up. He kissed the top of her head.

"It'll be fun, like a reality series. We can make video diaries and everything," he joked.

She looked at him as if he grew a third eye, and was just about to make a witty comment, as she got a whiff of the coffee smell, and felt her stomach turn. She sighed in defeat and nodded in agreement. 'I wonder if my Mom couldn't deal with coffee, when she was pregnant with me," she wondered out loud.

As Logan got up, he said, "Let's go ask her this weekend, okay?"

The question was Logan's not-so-subtle way of coaxing Rory into telling her mother about the baby. They both agreed that Lorelai should be the first to know, since they both had the best relationship with her, and she, of course, had experience with unexpected pregnancy.

Nevertheless, Logan knew that Rory was apprehensive about telling her mother. Rory would not be disowned, as he might be, but the wrath of Lorelai Gilmore could possibly be worse.

She looked at him. "Smooth, Huntz, real smooth," she deadpanned, offered him a quick smile, and said, "I'll call her this afternoon."

"Good" he nodded and made his way to the bathroom, as Rory called out "Get rid of that coffee first!"

Logan swiftly turned around, smirked and said, "I never thought I'd hear those six words come out of your mouth."

She dramatically fell back into the pile of soft pillows on the bed, "I never thought my offspring would loathe coffee! It's the tragedy of my life!" she yelled in fake despair. She could hear Logan's laughter from the kitchen.

* * *

That afternoon, taking a break from writing her column Rory was preparing to call her mother. Normally, she need not prepare but this conversation was nerve-racking. Her mother had a freaky sixth sense about major life-changing events and Rory hoped that her phone call did not give anything away. In addition, the Gilmore girl was coping with a serious caffeine deficiency so Rory was not a sharp as she normally was.

That morning Logan had gotten rid of all the coffee in the house, and as he was chucking the coffee in a giant garbage bag, she felt tears well up in her eyes. She was getting rid of her beloved coffee. It really was tragic.

After Logan went to work, she ran out to the supermarket and got some Coke. It was the first other caffeinated drink she could think of and she hoped that the baby liked Coke better than coffee. Luckily, it seemed okay with it and she successfully downed about a case of Coke that morning. However, she had yet to reach the happy coffee buzz she was after. She grabbed her thirteenth can of Coke, popped it open and took a long swig as she dialed her mother.

"Gilmore House of Pain," Lorelai sang into the phone.

A tiny burp escaped her mouth as Rory answered, "Mom, seriously, what if someone important, like George Clooney, was calling?"

"He would appreciate my sense of humor" Lorelai shot back, "And, hello, did you just burp?" Lorelai questioned. "You burped, on the phone, seriously, kid, what happened to all the manners Emily taught you? I mean, come on, what if someone important like Matt Damon, was calling?" Lorelai mimicked the earlier question.

'He would appreciate my sense of normalcy" Rory quipped back.

'Ah, so that's what the kids are calling it these days" Lorelai laughed back.

"So, why did you call?"

"Well," she really had not thought about how to spin this as she and Logan had just visited Stars Hollow two weeks ago, so she was not in dire need of a Stars Hollow fix.

Her mother would not buy the "I've been really busy, need a long Gilmore Movie weekend"-bit either and just popping by was out of the question – it would be too suspicious, so she decided to take another route.

"My favorite coffee place closed today, so I'm just in the mood for some good coffee," Rory said cautiously, she hoped her mother would buy it.

"Aw, here's my grown up girl making up excuses to come home and visit her Mommy" Lorelai teased.

"So, we'll see you Saturday afternoon?" Rory asked relieved that her mother had not seen through her excuse.

"Sure, bring the boy toy, he needs the coffee as much as you do," Lorelai paused, "I'll pull out the trundle, wink, wink" Lorelai joked.

"Mom," Rory exclaimed "Dirty!"

"Ah, but you love me for it" Lorelai said as she hung up.

Rory was satisfied with the outcome of the phone call. She looked at her laptop screen and realized she still needed to do a lot of work, if she was going to hang out in Stars Hollow all weekend. She downed the last sip of her soda, and was clearly not satisfied with the result. She sighed and walked over to the fridge to grab yet another can. As she positioned herself at her desk again, she decided to text Logan.

"_Babe, called my Mom. We are set for Saturday. She is going to set up the trundle…._

_It wants Chinese food for dinner, and Coke. Lots of it"_

Within a minute, her phone buzzed.

"_Good, not so sure 'bout the trundle ;) Coke? No way, it has more caffeine and sugar than coffee! Maybe it wants Mexican food for tonight. Please?_

She laughed, and shook her head.

_"It likes Mexican too, but it needs Coke, like I need coffee. Please?" _

Her phone buzzed again quickly. She flipped it open and read:

"_Deal, but I'll kick your habit one day_"

She laughed again as she spun around in her chair, took another sip of her soda and got to work on her column.

* * *

Saturday afternoon Logan and Rory were stuck in traffic on their way down to Stars Hollow.

"So, you're sure your Mom has no clue?" he questioned.

"Oh yeah, I told her I was craving Luke's coffee…"

Logan cut her off, "You WHAT?" He was shocked, "Lorelai probably has some elaborate coffee tasting thing set up, just to prove to you that Luke's coffee has been the best, and always will be the best. She'll have coffee cake, coffee bread, coffee chocolate, coffee _everything_!" He stressed that last part.

Rory cocked her head to the side and gasped: "Oh my god, you are right!" She waved her hands frantically, 'This baby is making me so… stupid! I should have picked up on that, the coffee thing, I mean, hello, it's my _mom, _we're talking about!"

He gave her a "duh-look".

"Logan, _it _doesn't like coffee!"

He looked at her, slightly amused by her rant, slightly worried that this visit Stars Hollow could be even crazier than normal, and said, "I know, Ace." He nodded for emphasis. Then he squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Look, it'll be fine. Worst comes to worst you get a whiff of the coffee, vomit in the town square, you're Mom will jump in, take care of you, ask if you're expecting and all you have to do is say yes."

She looked at him amused, and asked, "Otherwise?"

"Otherwise," he continued, "it's minutes of awkward silence, rambling, questioning… it's too complicated."

She chuckled, "So, actually, what you're saying is, there better be a coffee parade to make this whole thing easier?" She nodded in agreement. "I like your style, mister!"

* * *

**_Psst. Hi - last chapter I revised. From now, it's back to long-winded authors notes and sometimes crappy grammar. Enjoy :) _**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: This is a slightly shorter chapter, but I wanted to get it up. Thank you all so much for the amazing reviews! 17 and counting, I never ever expected it so THANKS!!  
Also wanted to thank LavenderBlossom623, I think I might incorporate that little bit of info in the story, in a following chapter. Rory and Logan will be staying in Stars Hollow next chapter, and that chapter will probably have more cutesy moments than this one. Hope you like it anyway. Read and Review as always, please & thank you!! **

**(PS: I also changed the layout a bit, adding extra spaces, since I think it might be easier to read, and a lot of other writers have that, too. At least in the stories I've read. Let me know which way you prefer)  
**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, nothing is mine. **

* * *

Lorelai sat waiting on the porch, with 5 cups of coffee two for Rory, two for herself and one for Logan, as she waited for Logan's car to pull up. She also had a bag of Luke's donuts and Sookie had made a giant coffee cake, a batch of tiramisu muffins and espresso brownies. Lorelai had wanted to do something extravagant for Rory, since Lorelai knew what it was to be deprived of excellent coffee; she had experienced this during her break-up with Luke.  
However, Lorelai could not sway the town to have a Coffee Parade, or even a coffee fountain during the last town meeting. So, she would just have to make do with coffee, coffee cake, espresso brownies, tiramisu muffins and donuts. "_Maybe that was for best"_ she thought as she looked down at her coffees. She had a gut feeling that something was up; she knew ever since the phone call that her daughter sounded off. Babies were on Lorelai's brain, though she hoped that they were not on Rory's and Logan's yet.

Logan parked his car in Lorelai's driveway, turned off the engine and looked at Rory. His girlfriend had fallen asleep and was snoring loudly. He was about to wake her up when he was startled by a loud tapping noise. He turned towards his window; his surprised expression was met by Lorelai's goofy grin, holding up a tray of coffee.

_And so the fun begins _Logan thought. He gave Lorelai a small wave/smile-combo, and pointed towards Rory. Lorelai nodded sympathetically, placed the coffee tray on the hood of the car and walked around to her daughter's side of the car.

"Ace," Logan nudged her shoulder gently, "We're here, come on babe, wake up". Lorelai was now pounding on the window, chanting "Coffee, coffee, coffee".

At the sudden noises, Rory jolted up, opened her door wildly and dashed inside the house. Logan swallowed hard as he made his way out of the car and greeted a stunned Lorelai, "What is that all about?" she questioned as she pointed towards the house.

"Hey Lorelai," Logan greeted and kissed her cheek. He did not really feel comfortable lying to his future mother-in-law, so he just shrugged.

"She's was feeling a little queasy when we left this morning, uh, let's go inside. I'm freezing," he suggested, trying to side step the matter.

He was already turned, trying to make his way in the house, when Lorelai grabbed his arm, pulling him back into her.

"Queasy, you say?" she asked him in a hushed whisper, her head cocked to the side and her left eyebrow pulled up and her eyes in made into slits. It could be rather intimidating, but Logan just shrugged as if to say yeah, and your point is?

Lorelai was silent for a moment, as her eyes widened in realization. "I knew it!' Lorelai exploded, resulting in a stunned Logan.

"Well?" his pregnant girlfriend's Mom stood before him, her hands placed firmly on her hips.

"So?" she boomed again, 'what do you have to say for yourself? I mean, you are "Yale Educated" – she used air quotes – but can't figure out how a condom works. I've got some bananas in the kitchen; I'll explain you the finer points later," she spat bitterly.

"You know…how?" was all Logan could muster. Lorelai was now glancing past Logan, eyeing Babette's yard. "Ah, crap" she mumbled, "Follow me, don't want the whole town finding out about this…."she looked at him, disgusted, sighed and waved her hands "…mess".

Logan, shocked to his core, followed Lorelai into the cluttered garage. He had handled difficult situations before, double booking pre-Rory girls, disappointing Mitchum, leaving HGP, being arrested, but nothing trumped the wrath of this particular Gilmore.

Lorelai looked at Logan under the dim garage light. There he was, the overly cocky one-time Yale Casanova, trust-fund _boy_, tongue-tied, squirming, desperately looking for ways to escape the uncomfortable situation. And she couldn't even enjoy it.

"Of course I knew. I'm her _mother_" Lorelai exclaimed and threw her hands up in anger. "God, I hope this kid is not going to grow up stupid like you!" She paused cocked her head to the side, "Or, were you not even planning to stick around for that? I bet you have a thousand girls on speed-dial, at least five in every city you visited, bound to have had a couple of "little mistakes" along the way, right?" she accused. She was ranting, so the anger building in Logan's eyes went unnoticed.

"Just chalk Rory up as a mistake, another check in the 'banged' column of your books. Make sure you draw a little star or something behind it, so you know you left her with a present, and so you remember to make the child support payment." She paused, "Oh, wait, stupid me" she hit her forehead with her hand for emphasis. "You probably have lawyers and accountants to take care of that…."

"Hey!" Logan bellowed, "What the hell do you know about it?_ I_ was the one that proposed, _I_ was the one that wanted commitment. I gave up back then; I wanted to give her her space. I should have fought harder…. "He trailed off. He had not wanted to bring up the past. "That doesn't matter anymore, Lorelai" his voice lowered to a whisper and he sighed. 'Rory was, _is_, it for me. There have not been any other girls since. He gritted his teeth, and continued, upset that Lorelai thought so little of him.

"No little presents, no books, no stars, no payments, there is nothing." He sighed and looked Lorelai in the eye, "I love Rory and I love that baby more than you could ever know."

Lorelai's features softened at Logan's confession as he continued. "I could have bolted, but why would I? I always thought Rory would mother my children. So, yeah, I thought, _we _thought, it would be later, but ever since we've gotten back together it's been warp speed. Maybe it was meant to be." He looked at her, waiting for a sign of approval or encouragement.

Lorelai nodded as Logan looked around the garage, in search of words. Finally, he put his hands in the kangaroo-pocket of his Yale hoodie and said. "Look, we are happy about this, and we wanted to tell you first, since we thought you'd understand…" Lorelai walked over to him, placed her hands on his shoulders, forcing him to stand still and face her.

"I'm not mad about the baby," she said in a small voice. "I needed to make sure…" she looked up at the ceiling, in a vain attempt to stop her tears, "make sure that you'd be here for her. That this baby would have a dad, that you wouldn't be a Christopher". Lorelai was full out bawling now, and Logan pulled her into a hug. "That's not who I am" Logan explained simply.

Once Lorelai settled down a bit, she pulled back and questioned. "You really love her, don't you?" He smirked and stated confidently "That I do".

Lorelai now fully regained her composure. 'I'm going to be a Grandma!" she squealed. Her happy look immediatly changed into a horrified one. "I can't go by Grandma. I need a cool Grandma name!" she ranted. 'Oh," she exclaimed, "maybe, he or she, can call me, uh…"

She was silent as she thought this over. "Lorelai" she said with a tiny smile. She laughed and said "God, I really suck at this name inventing thing.

"Hey, you still have the better part of nine months to think of something clever" he reassured her. "Hey, Lor" he asked "How did you know? I mean, Rory did not tell you…."

"Well," she started, "she kind of did." Logan raised his eyebrows at this revelation. "She didn't tell me with words," Lorelai explained, "but, I heard her burp." She said, as if that explained everything. Lorelai noticed that Logan's expression still was confused, so she continued, "the kid never burps. Only when she has soda, and she'll only drink soda when she can't have coffee. And when can you not have coffee? Never …" "Except when you're pregnant" Lorelai and Logan finished together and nodding their heads in agreement.

"Good catch" Logan said, somewhat impressed. "Yeah, well, that's what Mom's are for" Lorelai shrugged. "Let's go inside, Rory's probably still in the bathroom". Logan glanced at his watch. "That's a long time" "The whole house is filled with coffee treats," Lorelai offered as an explanation. ""Why?" "Just in case she wasn't pregnant…."

* * *

Lorelai stood in front of the bathroom door with a club soda and a packet of crackers waiting for Rory to open the door. Meanwhile, Logan was taking the trays of food out to the garage, and spraying air freshener to cover up the nauseating smell.

"Congratulations, kid!" Lorelai squealed when Rory finally opened the door. Lorelai shoved the crackers and water in Rory's hands, then directed herself to Rory's stomach.

"This is your Grandma speaking. Don't worry, sweat pea, I'll think of a better name. Your Dad says I have nine months, and I fully plan on using those nine months, so stay in there," she pointed at Rory's stomach, "until your cooked! That's all, baby, I'm going to talk to your Mom now!

Lorelai's happy face met Rory's pale and confused one. "What? I mean, How?" the younger Gilmore girl questioned.

'I heard you burp on the phone." "Oh" Rory nodded at her Mom's explanation.

"So, how come you aren't mad?" Rory questioned taking a sip of her water. 'I was,' Lorelai replied, which was met by another 'oh' from Rory. "But it's okay, now?" Rory questioned, confused by her mother's relaxed attitude.

"Kid, I can't be mad about an unplanned baby. I mean, it's where you came from" Lorelai chuckled. "I _was_ concerned about Logan, but it's okay, we talked. Had a real heart to heart." Lorelai made a fist and pounded it on her chest.

Rory smiled, and asked, "What about?" "That I'd kick his ass if he left you" At that moment Logan walked into the hallway. 'It's true, Ace' he said seriously. "She'll pummel me!"

Lorelai smiled at Logan's acceptance and understanding of her previous freak-out and dramatically said, "Prince Charming here convinced me that this baby, albeit unexpected, was created out of love, and will always be loved, and cherished, as will the mother of the child…" Lorelai's hand was now placed over her heart and she was feigning tears. "And the Oscar goes to…" Rory laughed.

"All craziness aside" Lorelai said seriously, "I'm happy for your kids, you'll make great parents."


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, wow, wow! I posted and the response was amazing. I am thrilled! I am glad you liked the Lorelai/Logan confrontation. Anyway, I was inspired tonight, so today is double update day! Hope you still like it. Read & Review Please. (Also, I've been wondering what all the abbreviations like AU, PDLD, OCC etc mean. Can someone explain quickly, or maybe direct me to a forum where it's mentioned. Thanks!) **

**Still toying on where to take the story from here, but I'll try to update a.s.a.p. **

**The songs mentioned are "I believe in a thing called love" - The Darkness/ "Everything" - Micheal Buble / "What I like about you" - The Ramones. I don't own any rights to these songs, but I can say: "check 'em out! I love 'em! **

**Disclaimer: Still don't own anything GG**

* * *

"God," Lorelai exclaimed, "I'm starving!"

Logan yawned, "Me too. You probably don't have anything real to eat, right?" he said looking at Lorelai. She furred her brow, and contemplated on making a witty remark, but instead she replied.

"No, have I ever?"

"No" Logan and Rory answered in stereo.

'Well, we'll just have to go to Luke's!" Rory said enthusiastically. "Baby's craving a burger with extra cheese, extra cheese fries and an extra giant Coke"

Logan looked up as Rory got up from the couch, "Convenient that it's the baby who wants all this" he deadpanned.

Lorelai chuckled at Logan's quick reply and added, "Someone's going to get _humongous,_" she sang and she widened her eyes and opened her arms to demonstrate how big Rory would get.

"Well, that as it may be," she weighed her words carefully; "It wants the burger! Can't help it! So, Luke's it is" she finished teasingly, and made her way to the door.

As Lorelai and Logan followed Rory to the door, Lorelai leaned in and whispered to Logan, "Are you sure this is a good idea, Luke's has coffee."

"I don't know, but she's made her mind up. We'll see," he whispered back.

Rory turned around, handing Logan his coat. 'Come on, I practically haven't eaten anything all day!"

On the way to Luke's they noticed that the streets of Stars Hollow where unusually empty. However, when they reached Luke's they understood why; half the town was congregated inside. From outside Rory, Logan and Lorelai could see Babette, Luke and Taylor standing on the bar shouting.

When the threesome entered the diner, the place went quite. The townspeople moved so they had formed a circle around them. It remained silent as Logan and the Gilmore Girls observed the faces. Gypsy and Andrew were giving Logan the evil eye. Ms. Patty gave Lorelai a sympathetic look. Taylor was looking at Rory with a look of utter disgust on his face.

Finally, after minutes of awkward silence Kirk made his way into the inner circle, and spoke, "Is it true that Logan knocked you up after your one-night stand? Is it true that you and your Mom lured him to Stars Hollow, away from his big city floozies and are going to keep him in the garage so he will take care of the baby and you can go off and have your big journalist career?"

The whole town gasped, obliviously it was something they had been dying to ask, but it was up to Kirk to get the 411.

Rory, Logan and Lorelai shot each other confused, but slightly amused looks, though Lorelai and Rory knew that something like this could be expected; it was Stars Hollow after all.

Rory decided that she should be the first to speak.

"Uh" Rory began, "that's quite a story there, Kirk. Interesting take on the whole situation,"

Lorelai shot Babette a death glare, who responded by throwing her hands up in the air as if to say 'it wasn't me'.

Rory flashed Kirk a small smile and squeezed Logan's hand. "We are indeed expecting" Rory said addressing the town's people, "but, it's really early, so…."

She half expected for the town to burst out in applause, cheers and well-wishings, but it remained eerily silent.

"Are you getting married?" Gypsy asked, breaking the silence.

Rory opened her mouth to speak, but Logan was quicker. "Not yet, one day" he said looking lovingly at Rory, "But we are living together, and this baby will be raised and loved by a father" he said pointing to himself, "a fantastic mom and grandma" he said pointing to Rory and Lorelai, "and apparently a whole town" he smiled, gesturing towards the gathering in the room. Lorelai coughed, and Logan grinned, "But of course we won't be calling Grandma, Grandma. She'll inform you on the name as soon as possible," he added and Lorelai smiled and nodded approvingly.

"Oh. My. God. Rory!" Lane exclaimed jumping over the counter. "I'm SO happy for you," she hugged her old friend tightly. "And you, too" she said as she gave Logan a quick hug, and then back to Rory.

"You're going to be the best Mom. Lorelai Gilmore 2.0" she squealed and hugged Rory again. The girls pulled back from the embrace, with tears in their eyes.

"It's the Mom thing," they both said, excusing themselves for the display of emotions. Someone from the back yelled: "Congrats to the new family" And with that, the whole dinner erupted into a sea of congratulations, applauding, cheers, and laughter. They had won the approval of Stars Hollow.

After a while, the excitement died down and Luke came towards the soon-to-be family of three.

"A table just opened up," he said and pointed to table in question. "What do you guys want?"

The three rattled off their orders like pros as Luke jotted everything down. He was about to turn, when he paused and questioned "What, no coffee?"

Logan groaned and Lorelai made a slashing motion across her neck "X-nay on the cof-nay" she whispered. Rory had to laugh at her family's antics. She looked apologetically at Luke.

"It doesn't really like coffee….yet" she explained. Luke nodded and said "Smart kid. I'll be right back with your extra large Coke." He wanted to bring her fruit juice, but he knew better than to argue with a Gilmore Girl about caffeine.

Lunch was pleasant, they talked about the town's ambush and agreed that even though it was a little crazy, it was very sweet and definitely column worthy.

"Hey, I'm just going to go get a refill" Logan said and grabbed his glass, and made his way over to the bar.

"What do you think he's doing?" Rory asked her mom.

"Duh, getting a refill" Lorelai deadpanned. "Pregnancy _really is_ making you stupid!" she joked.

"Excuse me" Rory said, taking mock-offense. "What?" Lorelai feigned innocence as she stole a fry from Logan's plate.

"I would have gotten you another," Luke said, pointing towards Logan's glass. "Oh, uh," Logan was getting kind of nervous again. "I just wanted to let you know, you know, that I really do love Rory." Luke glared at him.

"You know, since you are practically her Dad. I just wanted to make sure you are okay…" he trailed off. He was not sure if this was appropriate, but he wanted to have all his bases covered, and let Stars Hollow and Luke - especially Luke - know, that he was not some rich, deadbeat kid.

Luke continued glaring at Logan cleared his throat. "Well, it's kind of late to ask for approval, but I'm okay. If Lorelai's okay, I'm okay." He paused.

"Logan, don't hurt her. Do not lead her on. Marry her, don't postpone anything. That's how I almost lost Lorelai…" he paused, not wanting to think about that time in his life. 'Just don't hurt them" He nodded.

"Okay," Logan replied relieved, as he took his now full glass back from Luke.

* * *

The next day after Logan and Rory had said their goodbyes, and agreeing to have a big stars hollow baby shower they were on the road back to New York.

"Ah, come on!" Logan exclaimed frustrated. They had been driving in slow moving traffic, but now they had come to a complete stop.

"I bet you it's an accident," Rory said eagerly. He smirked. "Okay, you are way to chipper about a potential accident." Rory gasped.

"I resent that comment Logan Huntzburger. I think I'll just have to turn on the radio" She switched on the radio, crossed her arms over her chest and turned away from Logan.

"Ah," Logan sighed. "You know I was just playing". He could almost see her smile, though she was still not facing towards him. After five seconds of fake anger, she let out a big laugh, turned back towards him.

"I know, babe," she leaned in closer, "I know" she repeated in a softer, sexier tone of voice.

She kissed his nose, then his lips.

"Oh" Rory exclaimed as she pulled away from the kiss, plopped back in her seat and turned the radio up. "I love this song," she yelled over the music, bobbing her head to the beat and singing along.

"_What I like about you_" she pointed to Logan "_You hold me tight. Tell me I'm the only one, wanna come over tonight, yeah_"

He smirked at her. As she continued to sing and dance along with the song he couldn't help but feel very attracted to her. This must be true love, he thought, because she is really _really _tone deaf. He focused back on the song.

"_What I like about you…you really know how to dance…_" With this, he laughed loudly and flipped to a different station.

"Hey!" she yelled, "It wasn't done yet!"

"I know" he quipped, "but you can't be telling lies. _You_ _don't_ like that I know how to dance," he mimicked her dancing moves from the song,

"Because that means Emily shows us off at her dance parties, resulting in me having to _LIE _to my future-grandmother-in-law."

He looked over to see her smirking. He decided to take it up a notch.

"I lied for you, Ace. I lied," he cried dramatically.

Rory was now laughing hysterically, tears streaming down her cheeks from laughter.

"Stop it, Logan" she hiccupped. "I can't take it anymore"

He turned to her. "My dearest apologies to the lady" He kissed her lips lightly, "Please accept my apology in the form of a tune"

She tried to hold back her laughter, but it was hard. She nodded as Logan turned up the radio. The song was Michael Bublé's "Everything". She loved this song.

"I know you like this song, Ace" he winked as he belted out the first line.

"_You're a falling star_

_You're the getaway car_

_You're the line in the_ sand

"_When I go too far_…"

She winced at his singing abilities, though hers weren't good either, and thought about the meaning of the song. He really was her everything and she knew he felt the same way about her. He had been bobbing his head, not really focused on her, but now he turned to her.

"_And in this crazy life  
And through these crazy times  
It's you  
It's you  
You make me sing  
You're every line  
You're every word  
You're everything  
_

_You're a carousel  
You're a wishing well  
And you light me up  
When you ring my bell  
You're a mystery  
You're from outer space  
You're every minute of my every day _

And I can't believe that I'm your man  
And I get to kiss you baby just because I can  
Whatever comes our way

We'll see it through  
And you know that's what our love can do"

He looked up to find a brightly smiling Rory. He leaned in for a kiss, and they kissed long and passionately. A loud, repetitive honking pulled them out of the bliss.

"Traffic is moving again," Logan chuckled. "That it is," Rory confirmed. She bit her lip, and looked at him. 'Shame"

"Don't I know it, Ace" he said and grabbed her hand. She looked out the window for a while and sighed.

"You know, this moment, right now, is perfect. You are perfect, that song, perfect."

Logan looked back at Rory. "I know. I love you, too"

He was grinning and looking at her. His eyes shook her to her core, but she quickly snapped out of it.

"Logan!" she exclaimed, "Eyes on the road, babe!' He slowly turned is focus back on the road, they had really picked up speed.

"Guess there was no accident, such a pity" he teased, referring to her earlier statement.

"Oh" she hit the dashboard, "Stupid looky-loos!"

"Hey, easy on the dash, Ace" he laughed. She shot him a look and cranked up the radio.

"_I believe in a thing called love, just listen to the rhythm of my heart,_" she sang along with the Darkness song.

'Is this going to last 'till the City?" Logan questioned, somewhat worried, as much as he loved Rory, there was only so much _singing _Rory he could take. She shrugged her shoulders, and continued signing.

About a half an hour away from home, Rory fell asleep. Logan enjoyed the peace and quiet and reflected on his situation. A few months ago, he was a bachelor boy, now he was going to be a father and a husband, if his plan went accordingly. Life was good.

He parked the car, but did not bother to wake Rory up. Instead, he opened her door, and gently scooped her up and carried her upstairs to their apartment. He laid her bed, clothed – she was wearing sweats anyway – stripped down to his boxers and climbed in next to her.

She rolled towards him, and mumbled. "I love you, babe". He smirked and closed his eyes to go to sleep. Yes, life was definitely good for Logan Huntzburger.


	9. Chapter 9

**Hi! Happy Friday! Another update. ****This story is getting a little more intense, it has to be since our favorite couple is back in New York, back to their 'normal lives' and not livin' it up in Stars Hollow. The impact that their coupling and pregnancy will have is starting to dawn on them. Hope you like this set-up, let me know. Please!**

**I read in the reviews that it was a bit unclear how the town found out about the baby - babette overhead Lorelai and Logan argue in the yard and blabbed. They wound up at Lukes' since he is Rory's Step Dad, and bound to have some information. Hope that clears that up. **

**Tiny correction: in the last chapter I said that the song "what i like about you" is from the ramones, but it is, of course, done by the romantics. Or Lillix, if you've ever seen Freaky Friday ;) **

**Disclaimer: Don't own it! **

* * *

Logan was sitting at the breakfast bar, reading emails when he heard Rory's cell phone ring. She was taking a shower, so he didn't bother to call her. He also did not bother to answer it. It was her phone after all. If it was important whoever it was would call back. Or, track him down, since it was his phone that was ringing now. He minimized his email screen and picked up the phone.

"Hello?"

"Why didn't you pick up Rory's phone?" the voice on the other end demanded. He knew it was Lorelai.

"It's her phone" Logan replied dryly. He heard Lorelai snort, and hoped she didn't go into a 'now you live together, kiss your privacy good-bye' rant. Luckily, she just asked why her daughter couldn't pick up the phone herself.

"She's in the shower,"

Lorelai gasped, "And, you're not in there with her? Where's the love?"

"Only on Tuesdays' and Friday's. It's on the schedule." Logan replied without missing a beat. Some guys would be uncomfortable having their soon-to-be mother in law asking such a question, and let the question slide, but Logan knew that Lorelai would appreciate a clever remark more than an awkward chuckle, or not-so-subtle subject change.

Lorelai laughed as Logan expected, "My overly-organized daughter even has a schedule for shower-time sex. I thought I raised her better," she said apologetically. "Hate to break it to you, kid, but you are whipped." Lorelai pretended to make a cracking whip sound.

Logan chuckled, "So, I'll tell her that you called?' "Not so fast!" Lorelai rushed to say. "I've been meaning to talk to you, too. She's still in the shower, right?"

Logan leaned back from his stool and saw their bedroom door closed; it meant that she was still busy. "Yeah, she'll be in there a while, I think. What's up?" He honestly had no clue what Lorelai wanted to talk about. He had seen her just yesterday, and they had cleared the air. They were okay, right?

"It's not really any of my business, but…" Logan knew by the tone of Lorelai's voice where this was heading. Even though Lorelai had not brought up Rory in a traditional way, he knew that Lorelai still held a firm belief in certain traditions. Besides, she knew all about society and its prejudice, backstabbing, hypocrite ways. He knew about them, too. It was how he was raised.

"You're wondering why I haven't proposed yet" Logan said not beating around the bush. Lorelai was taken aback by Logan's directness.

"Uh, yeah, I guess so"

"How very Emily of you," Logan smirked. He did not really mind Lorelai's questioning. He had longed for the family oriented, small town upbringing Rory had enjoyed, and town ambushes and calls like this from her mother were the 'perks'. He definitely understood where Lorelai was coming from; she was just looking out for them. They both knew that when word got out in Hartford - the couple had best be married or at least engaged with a wedding date set.

"Don't _ever_ compare me to Emily again or I'll be forced to kill you" Lorelai replied dramatically, glad that Logan's comment had somewhat lightened the mood.

"I'll keep that in mind_, Lorelai,' _he smirked, stressing her name. He sighed. He wanted to propose. If he could, he would have married Rory after the Magazine Party, where they had met again. Now, if he proposed it would seem like he was just doing it because of the baby.

He wanted Rory to know that when he proposed it would be out of sheer love for her and not because society deemed them to get married. He wanted her wedding day to be perfect, not some prefabricated wedding Emily, or God forbid Shira, had waiting to go at the push of a button. On the other hand, he knew that he wanted to legally be her husband when the baby arrived, and subconsciously he knew that Rory knew that they when they got married it would be because they were soul mates and destined to be together, and _not_ because she had gotten pregnant. Overall, it was a complex situation.

"You still there," Lorelai questioned.

"Yeah, sorry" Logan shrugged, "I was just thinking…." He explained the complex situation to Lorelai.

"You are really too romantic for your own good, Huntzburger," Lorelai shook her head as she replied. She stayed silent for a moment as she contemplated what to say.

"It's hard, kid. You two are going to be criticized no matter what. If you stay, get engaged and have a wedding in a month you'll be criticized, since it's obvious it's a shot gun wedding. Even if you _tell_ people it's a shot gun wedding, you'll get your head chewed off. Figuratively speaking, of course,' she smiled slightly.

"Of course" Logan nodded, intrigued on where Lorelai was taking this. "Proposing and not getting married until after the baby is out, since it's not what you want. I suppose you could get married legally and have the party afterwards…"

"No, I don't want that" Logan scrunched up his nose at the thought.

"Then I guess you have to elope, just don't leave a message on Richard and Emily's machine….."

Lorelai and Logan shared another laugh. They continued to talk and Logan started to warm up to the idea of eloping. It wouldn't be a total elope since there closest friends would have to be there, but Logan could definitely figure something out. Logan heard the bedroom door open.

"Rory's out of the shower, so…' Lorelai cut him off.

'Can't talk right now; have to break up Michel and Sookie before I have wafels on my ceiling, instead of on plates." Lorelai sighed slightly frustrated, "I'll call her this afternoon".

* * *

Rory came out of the bedroom, unaware of the potentially life changing call, and made a beeline for the fridge, pulled out a soda, popped the top and took a long sip. Logan looked at her amused.

It was eight thirty on a Monday morning and Rory was drinking soda. The thought made him want to gag.

"Cherry Coke," he pointed at the beverage, "The way America starts the day!" he said in his best radio advertisement voice.

'Oh, shut up!' she playfully tried to hit his shoulder, but couldn't reach him over the counter.

He got up and placed his arms around her. She looked up at him, "At least I didn't throw up this morning" she shot him the doe-eyes waiting for praise on her big accomplishment. "Very proud" Logan smirked and kissed the top of her head.

Rory pulled out of the embrace, glancing at the big kitchen clock. 'I've got to get going, I'm doing a feature …." She started to explain, but Logan cut her off. "I'll hear about it tonight." He kissed her. "Go" he commanded lightly. She walked out the door, turned, looked at him for a split-second, grinned, "I love you, babe!" and slammed the door behind her.

Logan was pleased that Rory was going to be out of the house all day, since he needed some time to think. Normally, she worked at home in the morning, writing her column, editing other work. Sometimes she'd be out doing an interview or some research. She rarely was in the office, at work.

He, on the other hand, had to be in the office. Editor-in-chief wasn't all that it was cracked up to be. He'd much rather be out on the streets getting the news as it happened, travelling, or writing stories than being cooped up in his office all day. He liked his job enough, but at the same time he was itching for something more.

He poured himself another cup of tea. He still had a little time before he had his first meeting at 9.15. He thought more about what Lorelai had said – eloping. He thought about his travels, the things he'd seen. Things he knew Rory would have loved, if they'd been there together. The last time they travelled together was when he was working for Mitchum in the London Office. He sighed at the memory.

Then, he thought of the tiny Greek island that had an uncanny Stars Hollow feeling about it, he thought about the beautiful Alp landscape, the breathtaking Scandinavian fjords, cool and quirky Australia. He smiled at his memories. He remembered the delicious tapas he had eaten in Spain, how he tango-danced in Argentina, how good the Caribbean sun felt on his back. How awe-struck he was by the Myan Temples in Mexico. He mulled over the destinations again; all were perfect locations to tie the knot. What would Rory want? He glanced at the kitchen clock: 9:00 a.m.

"Shit", he mumbled as he placed his mug in the dishwasher, "late again."

* * *

Logan was sitting at in his office, going over the finer points of that morning's meeting. His phone buzzed, pulling him from his work. He glanced up at the clock - 5:00 p.m. He was almost done for the day.

_"Pizza or Indian"_

He loved these random text messages Rory sent. The thought of a cheese pizza tempted him, but decided that he should cook dinner tonight; after all, he had an important announcement to make.

_"Neither, you're getting a home cooked meal tonight. See you at six."_

Rory could not help but smile at Logan's text. He cooked four times a week and she loved him for it. She was preparing to text back, but her phone vibrated to the sound of the "Spice up your Life".

"Mom, Spicegirls?" Rory questioned in utter disgust. She hated it when her Mom changed her personal settings on her phone.

"It's trendy again" Lorelai shrugged. "I'd called you this morning…."

"I was in the shower," Rory explained.

"I know" her mother quipped back, "Without Logan, he told me, something about a schedule…."

"Mom!" Rory scrunched up her nose and sighed. She hated it when her Mom talked to Logan about that part of their relationship. He didn't mind, since he was just as perverted as Lorelai, so the two of them could get really carried away. Rory did not want to think about the 'shower conversation' her _boyfriend_ had with her _mom. _"Just stop – I don't want to know, okay? Rory pleaded.

Lorelai sighed in defeat and got back to the topic at hand.

"So, I called to talk about the Gilmore situation"

"Gilmore situation?" Rory wasn't aware that there was a Gilmore situation. She had seen them at their last bi-monthly Friday night dinner. Everything was fine. Of course, everything had been fine. Rory did not know she was pregnant, and Emily and Richard still were not aware Logan was back in the picture.

"Wow" Lorelai let out a low whistle. 'This baby really is making you stupid. Since it seems that you forgot, let me enlighten you." Rory rolled her eyes and shook her head.

"Emily has baby radar, bay-dar, if you will..."

"Oh my God," Rory screeched. She had forgotten that she and Logan still needed to inform everyone except Stars Hollow, on the pregnancy. She had been living in her own little world over the weekend, and still getting used to the pregnancy herself that it just slipped her mind. "I still have to tell them. And the bay-dar," she threw her hands up in despair. "I can't go anywhere near them. Grandma will take one look at me and she'll know."

Rory was upset. Some days she really disliked the fact that she was a Gilmore. She would not have been where she was today if it wasn't for her grandparents, but the last name made sure that she was a key player, like Logan, in Hartford society. As much as she tried to break free, she couldn't. Emily made sure that her granddaughter kept one Chanel ballet flat in the door to society.

Lorelai succeeded in her escape, but that was because she had been the 'great scandal of '85'. If she had tried hard enough, married Christopher, joined something respectable like the DAR, society would have accepted her and the teen pregnancy would never be mentioned again. However, since Lorelai ran away and created a life on her own, Hartford Society had ousted her.

Sure, she would still come to Emily and Richard's Christmas Party and she'd attend a fundraiser here or there, or let the DAR use the Dragonfly for functions, but Lorelai would always remain a bystander, looking in from the outside, to Hartford Society.

Rory, on the other hand, was the Golden Child.

The shy schoolgirl Emily had taken under her wing when she was sixteen and transformed into a beautiful, smart, charming, sophisticated society woman. She and Logan had been the Golden Couple and when they broke up, no, when _she_ turned _him _down, the Country Club collectively gasped. It was total chaos. It took months for the Club to return to something that resembled normalcy, and even now, Rory couldn't meet her Grandfather for a drink without being flagged down by a Stepford wife or debutante inquiring about her "tragic" breakup with "the Huntzburger boy".

If the breakup was chaos the pregnancy will bring a complete and total stop to Hartford Society. They would be outraged, she and Logan would be eaten alive, ostracized, but they would still be expected to show up to certain functions. Oh, the hypocrisy of it all infuriated her. It was her life, their baby, she didn't need this added stress.

"I know, kid" Lorelai sighed. She felt bad for her daughter. She knew what Hartford was like. In the twenty odd years that she'd been gone it probably just intensified.

She inhaled,"So, I take it you haven't put any thought into how you're going to deal with this?"

Rory snorted. "No." She sighed again, "I've only known about the baby for six days. Half of that time I spent hovering over the toilet bowl, and avoiding anything coffee."

Rory paused and decided to share some good news. "You know, I didn't throw up today!"

Lorelai chuckled, happy at least that her daughter had been feeling better. "That's great, babe."

Lorelai sighed out of frustration, "I'm sorry about your grandparents." There wasn't much she could do, but apologies always seemed to help in this type of situation.

'Thanks, Mom.'

Rory walked over to the fridge, to grab a soda. Even if the coffee had temporarily stopped making her sick, she still could not drink it. She popped the top and took a long swig, savoring the fizzy-ness.

"Okay," she said as she ran her hand through her hair. "I've got some caffeine in me now, so I can think again."

"Good" Lorelai nodded.

"I think I should wait until after the first three months to tell Grandma and Grandpa. Don't they recommend that anyway? So, they can't really be mad about that, right?" Rory questioned optimistically.

'Yeah, I see where you are going" Lorelai nodded in agreement. "This way, you and Logan still have some time to figure out what you guys are going to do – relationship wise. Come up with a plan…"

"Mom," Rory sighed, not wanting to cover that topic just yet, "I don't want a shotgun wedding. I don't want our baby to think we got married just because it came along."

Lorelai smiled at her daughter's naiveté. Either way, she was going to have to get married before that baby was born. It was just up to Logan to make it as romantic and un-shot-gunny as possible.

"Just talk about it with Logan, okay?" Lorelai did not want to push the subject anymore than necessary.

"So, you've just bought yourself three months. Congratulations!' she said in her best game-show-host announcer voice. "But, tell us, Rory, how are you going to get out of the five, yes five, remaining Friday Night Dinners?"

Rory laughed, though it really was not a laughing matter. Five consecutive get-out-of-dinner-excuses. She needed to come up with something good.

"I still have a week to think of something" Rory shook her head in disgust. That she would stoop so low.

"We'll figure it out." Lorelai said reassuringly. "That man candy of yours is pretty smart, ask him, too" Lorelai advised.

All of the sudden Lorelai laughed loudly. "What's so funny, Mom?"

"I was just thinking of the double shock Emily will get. Finding out her second chance granddaughter is back together with the Golden Boy _and_ is carrying the Golden Spawn. Oh, talk about double whammy. Take pictures, will you?" Lorelai teased.

'Oh', Rory said coolly, unfazed by her Mother's streak of evilness, "why don't you just come with?"

"Ouch, kid, low blow" Lorelai grinned. 'Oh, one more thing"

Rory yawned. Talking about the Gilmores made her extremely tired.

"What?"

"What about Consuela?" Lorelai asked enthusiastically.

"What about her?"

"No, stupid," Lorelai sighed, as if she talked about this every day. "For my "grandma name". Consuela has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Yeah, no" Rory said quickly. "That's no good."

"Aw," Lorelai said sadly, "I thought I had it this time."

"It'll come to you, don't worry" Rory assured her mother.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi! Thank you all so much for the reviews. I love reading them I am very flattered that you like my Lorelai! She's fun to write. Also thanks to every one who's put me on their alert lists. Very cool, so thanks!!  
The Gilmores won't find out about the pregancy just yet (maybe a chapter or three away) but I have the idea set, and I think it'll be pretty funny! So, something to look out for after this chapter. I hope you like this one. It might be a little heavy on the sappy sappy, get a room and give me a bucket to toss my cookies kind of romance, but I tried to keep the balance, I'm not sure if it worked ot or not. Hope you don't think it's too cliché... ;) Let me know! Don't forget to review!! **

**xx GilmoreGirl **

**Disclaimer: Don't own anything!! Also, probably worth mentioning: I don't own anything Coke related, but I really do love the stuff! **

**

* * *

**Logan came home to find Rory in her pajama's surrounded by a half eaten bag of M&M's, an empty can of Vanilla Coke, an empty can of Dr. Pepper, an empty can of Cherry Coke and a bunch of papers. She was sitting on the floor, her back against the couch, her legs pressed against her chest, a blanket covering her legs. Her notebook lay against her thighs. She was writing feverishly with her right hand and holding a can of Classic Coke in her left.

She was so focused in her own little world; Logan knew she didn't even realize he had come home. He wanted to say something about her variety of soda, or that the couch was perfectly good to sit on but he refrained himself from commenting. Instead, he could use this time to set up dinner and prepare for the important evening ahead.

He had been home for a little over forty minutes when Rory looked up from her notebook and questioned aloud, 'what smells so good?" "

"That would be turkey sausage with green peppers, and bowtie pasta with fresh garlic bread and a salad – for me, not you, don't worry" Logan yelled from the kitchen.

"Oh my God, Logan" she exclaimed, "You're home!"

She got up from the living room floor and ran over to him. He hugged her and twirled her around.

"Miss me much?" he smirked. She leaned in for a passionate kiss, her way of saying 'yes, I missed you a lot'. She pulled away from the embrace and smelled the pan of food. She licked her lips in anticipation.

"No pre testing!" he warned playfully"

"You want a drink?" he asked pulling out champagne glasses. She gave him a 'what gives' look and sighed, "No, I'm pregnant….remember?"

He noticed her frustration - it amused him. 'How could I forget?' he smirked. "I meant kids champagne,' he clarified, "Nothing says party like some good ole sparking apple juice!" He said as he took the bottle out of the fridge. She laughed and nodded in fake agreement.

"So, what are we celebrating?" He mocked her earlier 'what gives' look, and sighed, "You're pregnant….remember?"

She frowned at his mocking, but it still amused her. Her lips curled into a small smile. "How could I forget?" she mimicked his earlier question.

By now, the two had burst out laughing, over this little bit. Logan put an end to the laugher by saying, "No Ace, we haven't even celebrated just the two of us, you know."

"Dirty" she winked, "You know you don't have to do this anymore Logan. The wining and dining" she pointed at the nicely set table, and the stove, "You're stuck with me now" she giggled and pointed at her stomach. "Well… if you put it that way" he leaned in to kiss her, pulling away at the last moment. 'Dinners ready!"

* * *

"So," Logan said handing Rory her plate of food, "that's going to be some article." He pointed towards the mess of soda cans, M&M's, papers and blankets that lay spread out across the living floor.

"Huh?" Rory managed to say in between bites. Rory Gilmore could pack away the food, but this little performance was almost out of character. "This is really good, we should eat in more."

Logan made a mental note; cooking is good for my ego. It remained silent until Rory realized that Logan was waiting for her to talk about the alleged article that caused the mess.

She swallowed. "Oh no, it's not for an article. It's for the…" she leaned over the table; just inches from Logan's face and lowered her voice to an eerie whisper and continued "The Gilmore Situation." She used air quotes for that last part.

Logan nodded as if he understood though in reality he only had an inkling of what the Gilmore Situation could be.

"So, you talked to your Mom today?" Rory took a sip of her "champagne" and went off in a ramble.

"Yes, she called to talk about the so-called Gilmore Situation. I didn't even _know_ there was a Situation."

Logan shot her a unconvinced look. She noticed and corrected, "Okay, I _knew_ that when we told them it would be bad, but to go and call it a situation…." She rolled her eyes.

"Anyway, my Mom and I agreed that it would be best if I avoided Hartford for the next three months, you know until I'm in my second trimester, since they advise pregnant people not to the world until after three months. So, the Gilmores can't be too peeved about that, right?"

She inhaled, "But, now I have to figure out five get-out-of-dinner excuses. That's those crumbled up papers," she pointed in the general direction of the living room. "But, of course, no excuse is good enough since Emily Gilmore and her stupid bay-dar know it's an excuse!"

Rory clenched her fist in growing anger. Logan gave her a sympathetic look. "So, then I thought about all the other people we have to tell." She counted them off using her fingers, "Paris & Doyle, Colin & Steph, Honor & Josh, Finn, my Dad, my boss. _Your parents_! How are we going to tell them? There are only so many "use a condom/I'll kick your ass if you leave her conversations I – we- can take!' she shrieked.

Logan reached for her hand and held it lightly. He, too, dreaded telling Rory's grandparents and didn't even want to think about telling his own parents. But, he had a plan and Rory's freak-out set the plan in motion. He was just about to open his mouth when Rory continued.

"And another thing! My Mom thinks we should get married, or at least be engaged before we break the news to Emily and Richard. Like we'll just go and get married because of the baby. Logan, I don't want it to think we got married because we had to, because of it." He looked at the seriousness in her eyes.

"I want it to know we got married because of our…" She paused, trying to find the words to describe what she was feeling, how she felt about him, "his and hers towels, I can't sleep when you are not here, come on, babe let's get an early bird special, you had me at hello, kind of love we have for each other…" She was now yelling at a clearly intrigued Logan. She inhaled deeply and finished, in a softer tone "and not because it was the right thing to do." Frustrated she ran a through her hair, and looked away from Logan, staring off into space.

"Hey, come here" Logan said softly. He did not want Rory to worry about this. She walked over to him and he gently pulled her down, so she was sitting on his lap. She felt the tension in her ebb away, as he gently rubbed her back.

"Our baby will know that we got married for love, and not because it was the proper thing to do." Logan sighed - it was confession time.

"Truth is, Ace, I want to legally be your husband before the baby is born. I love you. All of you. Down to every caffeine dependent bone in your body and I can't imagine my life without you."

He buried his head in her neck, gently kissing it, slightly embarrassed by all the cheesiness that oozed out of his mouth. Why was it that when you tried to write down, or say, what you felt it also sounded like a four-dollar Hallmark card?

She looked at him, looked in his eyes and saw passion, love, trust, hope and safety. It was everything that she had wanted to see in his eyes.

She blinked back small tears and whispered, "Logan….are you proposing?"

She unconsciously bit her lip, awaiting his response. It felt like forever, but in fact, only a few seconds had passed.

He got up from his chair, tightly holding Rory. He walked over to the living room, and gently laid her on the couch. He got down on one knee and cleared his throat.

"Ace, will you marry me for me?"

The words rang in her ears and Rory felt her heart skip a beat. This proposal was perfect in its simplicity. She loved that he got the fact that she wanted to get married for love and she loved that he wanted to get married for that same reason.

The tears she had been holding in now were running down her cheeks. She nodded and mouthed yes. She smiled as tears were shining in his eyes as well. Their eyes locked and they simultaneously said "yes". The word rang through the apartment loud and clear.

Logan swiftly got up and joined his now fiancé on the couch. He wiped away her tears and kissed her. It was a kiss of promise, gratitude and love. She kissed him back, though hers was more urgent, like this kiss sealed the deal. Eventually she pulled away, and rested her head on his lap; he rested his feet on the coffee table.

"Let's stay like this for awhile" she breathed.

They lied lazily on the couch, each too overwhelmed by the evening's events to talk. Neither of them wanting to break the comfortable silence and effectively putting an end to the special moment.

Unfortunately, MTV's Made put an end to the domestic bliss since Rory accidently kicked the remote off the coffee table, causing the TV to brighten up the dim lit living room. They both found themselves in a TV-trance.

Once the commercial break came, Logan switched off the T.V. He didn't want is engagement night tainted by some stuck-up teen queen with something to prove. "I can't believe her,' Rory exclaimed. "Little Ms. Manicure wants to be a rugby player. If I found out she got made, I swear I'll call this kid Myron."

"Ace," Logan warned, "I can't be Myron's Dad….Zulu's Dad, maybe, but Myron" he shook his head for emphasis, "no way!" She leaned into him again and sighed. She loved him for playing along with her craziness.

"How 'bout a celebratory ice-cream sundae?" he suggested. They had not eaten dessert yet, and he still had something to give Rory. Rory was already getting up from the couch. You didn't have to mention ice cream twice around this girl.

"You just sit; I'll clean up the kitchen and make the sundaes." Logan cocked his head to the side and teased, "It really is the only thing that you can cook."

He sneaked off to his closet while Rory was busy. He just finished picking up the living room when Rory returned to the couch with two enormous bowls of ice cream.

"Okay," she said placing the tray down on the coffee table. 'We've got vanilla toffee crunch, your traditional vanilla, some butter pecan and a dash of rocky road and dark chocolate truffle on a bed of marsh mellows in a caramel and chocolate reduction served with summer fresh strawberries and a side of New York's finest whipped cream" she said in her best chef's voice.

She pointed the whipped cream can at Logan. "Might be fun for later' she raised her eyebrows flirtatiously.

He smirked. "Compliments to the chef, it looks exquisite." He glanced at the whipped cream can.

"You'll just have to demonstrate that for me later…" he winked suggestively. They laughed and dug into their ice cream.

* * *

After a while, they found themselves resting in the same position as before. The now empty ice cream bowls, and half full champagne glasses placed lazily on the coffee table, the only visible evidence of their celebratory evening. Rory's food needs had been completely satisfied, and she was contemplating on going to sleep. As she yawned Logan realized he needed to finish the last part of the engagement.

"So, you are probably wondering where your ring is?" he asked honestly. Rory glanced down at her left hand.

Indeed, her ring finger was bare. She shrugged. 'Logan, I can't wear a ring yet. People will see, it'll get back to Hartford. We can't…"

He could tell this upset her. She wanted to let the world now that Rory Gilmore was, simply put, off the market.

'I know, that's why I got you two things," he said as he handed her two small boxes.

She hoped Logan had not kept her first engagement ring. Even though it was a beautiful ring, she couldn't bear to wear it. She felt it was contaminated and stood as a symbol for the thing that drove them apart in the first place.

She certainly did not want a band of bad juju encircled on her ring finger forever. Luckily, the box contained a very different but equally beautiful ring. It was a thin gold band, with a princess cut diamond. It was simple, classy and elegant.

She smiled and kissed him lightly. "It's perfect" she sighed, "I can't wait until I can wear it…." He smiled, genuinely pleased that she liked the ring he selected. He had a hell of a time, since he did not want anything that resembled the old ring in the slightest way. He did not want anything that could remind her of that time, the time that kick started their time apart.

She opened the other package. In it, there was a breathtaking gold heart locket. The heart was etched with another heart, and other decorative markings making it seem like it was something Old Worldly, something treasured and passed down generation after generation.

Rory knew Logan had had this made for her, since his family would not allow him to give the lowly Gilmore Girl a precious heirloom. Even if the Huntzburgers knew about the relationship, that is.

Still, she liked the idea of something that seemed to have carried meaning for generations. This would just be it's starting point, she reasoned. She loved that Logan put so much thought into this gift.

She took the necklace out of its box and flipped it over; more etching in on the upper right had been done. She studied it. It was barely noticeable, but she clearly could see the shape of an A intertwined with the letter L.

If she loved the engagement ring, this necklace pushed her over the edge. Judging her body language, Logan knew that Rory loved the gift. He smiled and put the necklace on her.

"This you can wear outside" he said seriously. She nodded and kissed his cheek, his nose, his neck and finally his lips. She needed to express how she felt, and no words existed to do so. The kiss quickly grew deep and strong. Logan quickly lifted her up from the couch, striding towards their bedroom. Rory was just able to snatch the can of whipped cream.

That night she lay awake thinking about the recent events. She had gone from completely stressed out, to ultimate surprise to ultimate commitment. It felt good, and it had happened right. She was glad Logan did not propose in a fancy five star restaurant. She was glad it was at her home, that she was in her pajama's and he was in his sweats. That they were eating the food they loved, drinking and talking about their days. That was when they were the most comfortable; it was their relationship in a nutshell. It was "them" in their purest form. The way he anticipated that and captured that moment melted her heart. She rolled over and met Logan's chest. She found her nook and fell asleep.

That night he, too, lay awake thinking about the nights events. He went from listening, understanding boyfriend to slightly nervous proposing boyfriend to ecstatic fiancé. It felt good, he had not planned on proposing just yet, but tonight it had just felt right. He was still toying about the wedding, but that would work out too. He was sure of it. He glanced down at Rory pleased that she had found her nook. He closed the gap between them and fell asleep.

* * *

_AN: So, what's the verdict? Overdone? or just right? By the way, no offence to all you Myron's & Zulu's out there! _


	11. Chapter 11

**Hi!  
Thanks for all the amazing reviews. They really make my day!! I have exams next week, so I probably won't post until later next week. But after the exams I have a TON of time, so there's the silver lining. **

**This chapter _is_ sort of fillerish, kind of waiting for the next big event: the wedding and directly after that: telling the gilmores. After that, the Huntzburgers will finally be introduced. **

**Read and review! Hope you all stil like it ;)**

xx GilmoreGirl 

**ps: lavenderblossom623 you inspired rory's little coffee rant!  
**

It was now Friday afternoon. Rory lay lazily on the couch looking back on the week. It had gone by in a relaxed state of happiness. She was off the hook for Friday Night Dinner, so that, in general, made life good. Rory used the "I'm sick" excuse, by far the easiest but the most effective. Emily could not possible argue that attending dinner with a 'stomach bug' was a good idea.

Rory now had a full fourteen days to think of four different foolproof excuses. Besides, Rory really had not told her grandmother a lie. She really had been sick that morning. Her editor, Aiden, sent her home. That morning he decided to spring for caramel lattes with extra whipped cream – one of Rory's favorite specialty coffees. She reasoned that one sip could not hurt; since she had been 'sober' for a little over a week. Once the coffee touched her lips, her body rejected her once-beloved drink in a violent way. Aiden was waiting in her office when she returned from the bathroom, looking rather upset. He flat-out asked her if she was pregnant – he noticed the signs since his wife was pregnant every other year- and sent Rory home with a sigh. He did not want to have his best writer cut back on her hours.

Logan came home that night to find Rory sitting Indian style on the couch, her laptop placed on her lap aggressively punching the keys. "Take that, mama-llama0f5" she mumbled. "Trouble in paradise," Logan joked, not really wanting to know why his fiancé was fighting with someone named mama-llamaof5.

"Hi" Rory answered absentmindedly.

Logan shrugged, and fixed himself a drink. He was standing in the pantry, contemplating what to cook for dinner, when he heard Rory shut her laptop and let out a primeval scream. He came rushing into the living room.

"You okay, Ace?" he asked concerned. Rory threw her hands up in anger.

"This… this," she pointed at her laptop, "Mama-lama" she growled. Logan had never seen Rory this upset.

"Hey," he said soothingly trying to pull her into a hug, but she was not having it. She was pacing up and down the living room.

"She thinks I'm an unfit mother," Rory spat. "Me!" Rory pointed at herself.

"But you are Lorelai Gilmore's daughter" Logan said back, with a slight trace of mocking in his voice.

"I know!" Rory exclaimed. "I told her that," Rory said, "but that didn't matter to that llama."

"Well," Logan replied hesitantly. He still was not sure what happened. "Uh, _why_ did she think you were unfit and, more importantly, do we know this llama?" he asked.

"Ah!" Rory yelped in frustration. "Aiden sent me home, because he found out I was pregnant. The jerk brought caramel lattes to work."

She paused, and bit her lip. "I can't resist the caramel, Logan," she said softly.

Rory walked over to him, hugged him lightly and gave him the doe-eyes. "So, you got sick?" Logan asked, fully knowing where this was heading.

She shrugged. "Yeah, so now I'm home, first I call Emily to cancel dinner, and then I start to think up excuses for the other dinners." Logan nodded understandingly. "But, of course, nothing is good enough, so I decide to look up baby-names….'" Rory said calmly.

"What?"

"I can't help it, it's the hormones," she said waiving her hand, dismissing the subject. Logan gave her a small smile asked, 'So, find anything good".

"Well, no, because I then decide I want to find other pregnant women, you know, chat, find out if anyone else has this reaction to coffee. So, I log onto this chat room and have to talk to all this women who aren't vomiting at the smell of coffee but have swollen feet and acne and sore boobs and all this other gross stuff no one, and I mean no one wants to hear about." She shot him a do-you-still-follow-look. He nodded so that she would continue with the rant.

"So, then mama-llama the so-called super-mama starts talking to me, and she's all like 'Oh, you can't have coffee because it'll cause a miscarriage," Rory scrunched up her nose and used a fake British accent when imitating the 'super-mama-llama'.

"So, I reply that I'm off the coffee and that I just had a relapse today, and she started acting like I was a freaking junkie!" Logan gasped, knowing that this was going to get ugly fast.

"So I told her that I thought _she_ was the one acting like a junkie and that I can live my life without coffee and that I was now drinking soda!" Rory said with growing anger in her voice.

"So, she goes on to say that that was just as bad and could give me or the baby diabetes! So I told her to mind her own business and she was all like, but I have five kids, so I told her that that doesn't make her supermom, and that the supermom position was currently held by Lorelai Gilmore."

Rory paused and inhaled deeply. Logan was expecting a big climax, but Rory finished with, "And then she says "That's great, dear, now I have to start fixing dinner." And with that super mama llamas logged off and out of my life forever." Rory bawled her fist and made her eyes into slits. "I couldn't even get my revenge".

Logan smirked. This hormonally induced rant was really quite amusing. "Aw," he said as he placed a hand on the small of her back, "don't let this crazy llama get to you, Ace. What the hell does she know?"

She turned into him, for a hug. "You are mad at her not only because she's crazy, but she threatened the baby. It's just your maternal protective instinct kicking in. That proves that you'll be an amazing Mom," he whispered in her ear.

"Besides, Lorelai Gilmore is your Mom, and all those good-mom genes' are passed down to you."

He hugged her tighter, he felt the stress leave her body. Only now, she was sobbing. Oh, the joys of pregnancy.

He pulled back from the hug and looked at her.

"Ace"

Her tear streaked face looked at him. "I _am_ a bad Mom," she sobbed. "I could have poisoned the baby. It will be a freak because of the coffee, and all the soda," she wailed.

"I could have – still can – have a miscarriage because I am a coffee addict." He tried to calm her down, but it was a lost cause.

She fell onto the couch and dramatically sobbed. "I'm a junkie".

He couldn't help but laugh. If journalism hadn't worked out for Rory, she could have always majored in drama. He rubbed her back until the crying subsided. She got up from the face down position she had been in and wiped away her tears with her sleeves.

"What if I just drink one can of Coke a day?" she questioned. Logan shrugged as if to say, if you must. He did not think Rory's big caffeine intake was healthy but it belonged to her. It came with the package.

In regards to the baby's health, he knew Lorelai had kept on drinking coffee throughout the pregnancy – hamburgers, another Gilmore staple, was what had made Lorelai violently ill. He reasoned that the only damage the kid could have was winding up as addicted as Rory and he was engaged to the girl. So, could it really be that bad? Besides, they had their first doctor's appointment soon. Maybe the doctor could talk some sense into her.

"Ace," he smirked, "if you think you can do it." She laughed. "Well, maybe two," she smiled weakly.

* * *

After her little freak-out, Rory jumped in the shower and Logan started making dinner. He quickly sent Lorelai a text message.

"Are you and Luke free the first two weeks of December?"

_"Why? Planning something Huntzburger?"_

"Maybe. Are you sure, you close up the Inn & Luke the Diner? Warm or cold destination?"

_"Hell yeah and Ceaser. Depends. What's the event?"_

"Almost tricked me. Sneaky. Can't tell you though"

_"Please?"_

"NO! Now, warm or cold?"

"_Choices? I will find out what this event is…."_

"Warm: Mexico, Bahama's, Greece, Spain. Cold: Sweden, London/England, Canada, Vienna,"

Instead of the buzz of a text message, his phone rang - incoming call: Lorelai Gilmore.

"Lorelai!" he whispered harshly in the phone.

"A snowy winter wedding is perfect!" she squealed into the phone.

"How did you know?" he was shocked.

"Lucky guess" Lorelai replied dryly. "So it's true?" she asked eagerly.

"Yeah, if you don't blow my cover" Logan still whispered back honestly, excitement laced his voice.

"Honeymoon in the Caribbean!" Lorelai continued ignoring Logan. He sighed sharply and said. "Okay, but it's a secret. So, be quiet" he urged.

The couple had never really broached the topic of marriage, not in terms of design or location. Of course, now that they were engaged and Logan wanted to be her husband before the baby was born put some pressure on the situation. Ever since Lorelai planted the idea of elopement in his head, he had been set on marrying Rory in a foreign country, with only their closest friends surrounding them. He mused about the wedding until Rory pulled him out of his daydream.

"Whatcha thinking about?" she asked innocently, pulling herself up on the countertop.

"Oh," he replied feeling a little guilty, "nothing much."

"Huh" she said knowing that 'nothing much' had not been on Logan's mind, but she decided to let it drop.

"What's for dinner?"

* * *

The evening went on normally. They had eaten dinner; Logan had subtly dropped wedding related questions, though Rory did not pick up on them. Luckily, for him, this pregnancy really had made her a tad less alert. They watched a move and at 10.30 Logan put a sleeping Rory in bed. Now, that he knew Lorelai and Luke were available for the wedding he needed to make sure all of his friends were able to join in the festivities. He wrote Lane and Zack an email. He left a message on Honor's phone. He texted Paris, he wrote an email to Colin, and a separate one to Steph, threatening to kill her if she blabbed.

All that was left was to call Christopher and Finn. Calling Finn was really the only way to get in touch with the lad. He rarely checked his email, and half the time he was too busy to text back. In the last two years, Finn had really cleaned up his act. Rarely ever drunk, and hardworking, all he needed was a nice, respectable; non-golddigging girl by his side and Finn would be just as reformed as Logan and Colin.

"Hello," an Australian voice answered the phone.

"Finnegan, it's Logina" Logan put on a girls voice. "Why don't you ever call me back?"

"Oh, love," Finn answered playing along. "I've must have misplaced your number. It's an honest mistake"

"But, cupcake, I've been waiting by the phone for days!"

At this, both boys burst out laughing.

"So, to what do I owe the pleasure of this call?" Finn finally asked.

"Well,…." Logan started.

"You and Rory want to elope?" Finn guessed eagerly.

Logan was baffled again. "Uh, yeah. How'd you know?"

"It was only a matter of time, mate. I'll clear my schedule, I'll be there will bells on. Only one condition..."

Logan smirked, this was so typical of Finn. "Sure, shoot"

"I want to be the one that marries you two. I got my license and everything" Finn said seriously.

This was the last thing Logan expected, but, oddly it seemed fitting. He knew Rory would like to be married by a close friend, it would make the ceremony even more intimate and special.

"You've got yourself a deal" Logan said "I'll email you the details soon. And, Finn, not a word!"

"Aye, Aye, Captain"

Logan glanced down at his paper. The only name left was Christopher. He couldn't just call Rory's dad and inform him on all these life changing events. He and Rory would have to do that together.

* * *


	12. Chapter 12

**So, I know I said I wouldn't update till after the dreaded exams, but I couldn't help myself. I like the reviews too much!! Seriously, though, expect another update around Friday or so. That chapter will probably deal with the wedding (yay!) though I stil have to write it, so I might change my mind again. This chapter here is where Chris finds out. It's maybe not as high drama as some of you maybe expected, so I hope it lives up to your expectations!!**

Let me know!! Read and review as always!! 

**Disclaimer: Do not own a thing! **

* * *

"Just make the call, Ace," Logan said, sliding her cell phone across the table where they had been enjoying breakfast that is until Logan brought up Christopher. Rory knew she had to tell her Dad someday, but really, couldn't it wait until she had the baby?

Her relationship with Christopher was lukewarm at best. At one point in her life, she thought they would finally be able to work on their relationship, make up for lost time and start being a family and not people related by occasional phone calls and fancy presents.

They came _this close _of actually having that happen, but then her parents got divorced. In the end it was for the best; Lorelai was very happy with Luke and Christopher was in a twisted relationship with Sherry.

Christopher and Gigi spent a good five months out of the year in Paris with Sherry, the rest of the time they lived in Hartford.

After the divorce Rory had cut ties with Christopher out of loyalty to her mother, though about a year ago she had contacted her father again. It was still her Dad, after all. They were working on their relationship, though Christopher's current living situation did not help much.

Rory bit her lip slightly, and looked at Logan.

"Why am I doing this again?"

"Because" he sighed sympathetically, he knew how twisted her relationship with Christopher was, "you still want your Dad to know."

He kissed the top of her head lightly and quickly rubbed her shoulders. "I'm just going shower, give you some time to call, okay?"

She breathed in deeply and nodded. Then, she flipped open her phone and scrolled through her menu, found her Dad's cell number, dialed and waited. Nothing. She sighed in frustration.

This was so like Christopher, getting a new number and neglecting to tell Rory. At least she still had the Hartford and Paris home phone numbers. She took a gamble and decided to call Hartford first.

"Hello?" a young girl's voice squeaked nervously into the phone. Rory was relieved; she always enjoyed talking to Gigi.

"Hi, George-eanie" Rory said lightly. She had never really liked the nickname Gigi, she thought George-eanie, or Jeanie sounded much better.

"Rory" the six-year old said seriously into the phone. "You know my name is Georgina!" Apparently, Gigi had entered the 'no-more baby nicknames' phase of childhood.

Rory had to do her best to stop from laughing, "I am terribly sorry, Georgina!" she managed with her best society voice.

"Nah, it's okay. So, what's up?" the newly named Georgina asked.

"Uh, well" Rory sighed. She had almost forgotten why she was making this call in the first place.

"I kind of need to talk to Dad."

"He is in a meeting. I am with the nanny," Gigi said disappointedly. "We were supposed to get new shoes.' She explained.

Rory felt bad for the little girl. Christopher was raising her to be part of Hartford society, complete with nannies and weekend meetings. Rory scrunched up her nose. She would definitely not raise her child like this.

"I'm sorry Jeanie. I mean, Georgina." Rory corrected.

Gigi laughed. "Well, you could tell me!" she said. The young girl loved talking to her big sister. Oh, how Gigi longed to grow up and lead a fabulous life like Rory.

Rory contemplated her half sister's offer. This could be perfect, an evil grin spreading across her face.

"Are you guy's home for dinner?" Rory asked hoping to sound casual.

"Uh huh" Gigi nodded into the phone.

"Well, then I think I might come over for dinner!" Rory said.

"Oh, awesome!" the little one squealed.

"And," Rory continued, "I am going to bring my, uh, friend" she hoped Gigi would pick up on this last part.

"Someone I know?" the ever-curious child asked.

"Yes, I think you should remember him." She waited for a beat and breathlessly said, "It's Logan"

Her revelation was met by a deafening squeal.

"I love Lou," Gigi screamed, using her four-year old nickname for Rory's then boyfriend.

Gigi had only met Logan a handful of times, but she had instantly taken a liking to him. If Rory made an excellent big sister, Logan made an even better big brother.

After Gigi's excitement died down, she asked with a trace of worry in her voice, "I thought you and Lou, uh…"

The little girl wasn't exactly sure what had happened between Rory and Logan, but she knew it was just like her Dad and her Mom and her Dad and Aunt Lorelai. It actually was quite a lot for a child to take in.

"You know," she continued, "like Mom and Daddy and like Daddy and Aunt Lorelai…." She trailed off hoping Rory would understand.

Rory felt her heart break a bit. She felt sorry for Gigi, not only did she get the Hartford upbringing but also the young girl was shipped between the U.S. and France, and had been through divorce twice.

'Aw, Jeanie, it was kind of like that. But Logan and I are back together. In fact, we are engaged!" Rory said excitedly.

"Really?" The excitement was back in Gigi's voice. Luckily, she was at an age where love wasn't complicated. In her world Logan and Rory getting back together wasn't a society shocker, it was perfect and meant to be. She did not question it, or wonder why or how it happened.

"Can I be your flower girl?" she asked eagerly.

"We'll see" Rory responded honestly, she wasn't sure what was going to happen with the wedding. She made a mental note to talk to Logan about it.

"So, this is what you wanted to tell Daddy?" Gigi questioned.

"Yeah," Rory replied, "Do you want to hear the rest of the surprise?"

"There's more?" Gigi's eyes widened.

"Uh huh, you are going to be an Aunt," Rory said excitedly.

"Huh?"

Rory smiled, maybe this concept was a little too hard for the six year old to grasp. The only "aunt" Gigi knew was Lorelai, so naturally Gigi did not see herself being an aunt anytime soon.

"What I mean to say, Jeanie, is that Logan and I are going to have a baby!"

Gigi's mouth literally hit the floor and she let out an excited scream.

"That's so cool!"

Rory laughed loudly; at least _someone _was thrilled upon receiving the news.

"Well, Jean, I've got to go. I will see you tonight, okay? Don't forget to tell Dad that _Logan_ and I are coming to dinner!"

"Bye, Mamma Rory! See you later!"

Rory did a little happy dance as she hung up the phone. Now that Gigi knew the two big secrets Christopher would find out soon enough and the best part: Rory did not have to tell him anything. Sure, dinner would be awkward, since she would still have to explain everything, but at least she was not the one that was going to be breaking the news.

"Well, that went well," Logan smirked as he entered the dining area. Rory got up from her chair, walked over to him and pulled him into a hug.

"I told Jeanie" she beamed

Logan pulled back from the embrace and cocked his head to the side.

"Why? She'll just go tell Christopher anyway….."He trailed off, and Rory saw his expression change from complete confusion to absolute understanding. A sly smile spread across his face.

"Well played, Ace. Well played."

* * *

That afternoon Logan was cooped up in his office. Rory figured he was busy working; in fact, he was busy arranging the elopement. Rory, however, _was_ working. She sat at the breakfast bar, a can of Cherry Coke next to her laptop, her editing program opened, when her cell phone buzzed. She looked at the caller-id. It was her Dad. .Gigi had let the cat out of the bag. Rory sighed and put her phone down. She was not going to talk to him now. That's what the dinner was for. About ten minutes later the home phone went, and ten minutes after that her cell phone again. Then Rory received a text message.

"_Talk to me! Tell me Gigi is lying." _

Rory chuckled as she could see her fathers' stressed out face. Maybe they did not have the best relationship, but Christopher wanted the best for his daughter and pulled through, most … some of the time.

"I take it Gigi told you the news. Gigi isn't lying. We will talk at dinner"

Her phone proceeded to ring one more time, but after that, it stopped.

* * *

"I think it's this street," Rory said as they drove through Hartford. "It's a big house" Rory said, as if that would make Christopher's house easier to find. Her Dad had moved back to Hartford, but Rory had never visited. Christopher normally took Gigi into the city, or they would meet at Emily and Richards for dinner.

"Oh, a_ big house_" Logan said sarcastically. "I was looking for a shack!" He shot Rory a "just kidding" look. He did not want her thinking that he had been serious. Normally he never had to worry about things like this, but he read an article about pregnant woman and their crazy hormones so he did not want to take any chances. He had been lucky up to now, since Rory's only major problems were coffee related and baby induced "stupidness". The pregnancy had not affected her witty banter.

"It's this one" Rory said, ignoring Logan. "With those silver gates" she pointed towards the house.

A few minutes later, the couple stood in front of dark brown door.

"You ring the bell" Rory nudged Logan

"You ring the bell. He's your Dad" Logan nudged Rory back.

"I'm going to be your wife" Rory said as if that would make a difference.

"I'm going to be your husband" Logan replied, capturing her exact tone.

Rory turned to him and placed her hand on her hip. "I'm pregnant with your child"

Logan glared. "That's not fair. Baby card trumps any of my cards _any_ time!" he exclaimed as Rory did a one-man wave and bowed to the invisible crowd.

'Thank you, thank you very much! I love you all," she said, blowing fake kisses to her fake crowd of admirers.

She turned to him, and smirked, "I love you, too" and pressed a small kiss on his cheek. "Now, ring the bell!"

"Unbelievable" Logan muttered, but rang the bell anyway.

Logan squeezed Rory's hand gently as they waited for the door to open. They had no idea what to expect. The door opened and Rory whispered, only so Logan to hear, "Bring on the crazy".

The maid took their coats and guided them to the foyer. Christopher's Hartford mansion was set up similar to the Gilmores. Emily had the best designers, so it was only fitting that Christopher had used the same designers as well, since he was on a mission to fit in with Society.

"I'd fix you a drink," Christopher said tightly as he made his way to the couple, "but a little birdie tells me you can't" He quickly glanced at his daughters' stomach and then disapprovingly towards Logan.

"Dad!"Rory exclaimed, slightly taken aback at his forwardness. What the hell did he know? Had her Dad been around during the break up? Right, of course not!

'Rory!" he yelled back before Rory had a chance to finish her sentence. "What the hell?" he shouted louder.

"Well, Dad," Rory raised her voice, slightly annoyed. "When a man and a woman love each other, sometimes they want to express these feelings…."She paused, she wasn't in the mood to be sarcastic. "Honestly, I thought if anyone knew about the birds and the bees you would be the one to know!" she shot him a death glare.

"Rory," Chris said again, though this time his voice softened, "I didn't mean it like that. I didn't know about you and Logan being back together. It's just so….sudden. I don't want you to rush into anything."

"Yeah, well. That ship has sailed." Rory spat, still angry with her father. It was twisted, since she wanted him to act like a Dad, though she did not want to be parented by him. She was 25 for god sakes, and if she needed advice, she'd go to her mother. She just wanted him to sit there and accept whatever she did.

A slightly awkward silence fell over them, so Logan took the opportunity to speak up.

"Look, Mr. Hayden"

"Chris" Christopher interrupted.

"Chris, the truth is Rory and I have only been back together for almost two months. The baby was…. " he paused, how could Logan phrase this right? He settled on unexpected.

"But, we are thrilled." He squeezed Rory's hand and nodded, hoping that would add sincerity to his plea.

"We really are Dad." Rory continued picking up where Logan trailed off. "We always wanted to have kids, it is just that after the first proposal everything got so messed up. But, this – this was just meant to be."

Christopher glared at her daughter and fiancé. The truth was he always liked Logan. He was good to Rory and in some ways Logan reminded Christopher of himself. The young man had also stepped up to the plate by proposing to Rory. They seemed happy. Besides, it was out of his hands, Christopher realized. He could stay angry but what was the point?

"What's your mother say?" he finally asked Rory.

"She's thrilled, she's making up grandma names as we speak" Rory nodded, smiling at the names Lorelai had been coming up with.

"And," Logan interrupted, "she told me she'll kick my ass if I do anything to hurt Rory or the baby"

Chris laughed, it sounded like Lorelai to threaten the boy. "Well, good. If she didn't I would have. I will" Chris glared at Logan, but in a less intimidating, friendly way. The men shook hands as to make their verbal agreement binding.

Dinner was pleasant. Christopher had calmed down quite a bit, after experiencing the couple together. He knew they were a good match, much better than he and Lorelai had been. He watched them interact with Gigi and knew that they both would make excellent parents; far better than he was.

"So," Christopher said, digging into his apple pie "when's the wedding date?"

Rory shot Logan a "we really need to talk about this" look.

"We aren't sure yet, But soon, definitely before the baby. We still haven't told the Gilmores. We are kind of deciding how to break it to Emily that we are back together, and expecting a baby, but **no**, she can't organize the wedding….." Rory offered her Dad a quick smile.

He nodded. "Quite a task, quite a task. Good Luck with that!"

"Any suggestions?" Logan asked.

"Just don't break it to them on their answering machine, or two weeks before the debutante ball." He said reminiscing on the time he and Lorelai told Emily about their marriage, and the time Lorelai told Emily she was pregnant.

"Noted" Rory said and dug into her pie.

* * *

Logan was waiting for the car to fill up with gas, and Rory was asleep so he whipped out his cell phone and texted Chris.

"Hope you are free the first two weeks of December.

Eloping if all goes according to plan.

Fill you in later.

Rory doesn't know a thing. Let's keep it like that!!"


	13. Chapter 13

**

* * *

**

Hi!  
I'm back a little earlier than I expected, but exam studying is not as time consuming as I intially expected, so I can update :)  
Finally, finally, finally Logan surprises Rory with the wedding!!  
Thank you guys for all the amazing reviews. It really puts a smile on my face. So, please let me know what you think about this chapter. I am not sure about Finn, I kind of see him as a sex-crazed male Lorelai, though I'm not sure if it comes across like that... Let me know!

**Enjoy,  
GilmoreGirl**

**Disclaimer: do not own gg!! **

* * *

"So, I was thinking that we should take a little trip" Logan said cautiously as he eyed Rory's reaction as she looked away from her Sunday paper.

Her answer came in the form of a blank stare.

A small smile crept over Logan's face. She was so cute when she was caught off-guard.

"Come on, Ace, it'll be fun. Get out of town for a few days…."

"Logan" Rory she said shocked. She loved his spontaneity, but she was too practical. "I have to work, the holidays are coming – we can't just pack up and go! Don't you have to work?"

"I'll use our trip as research, for a travel article. I'm sure "Old York" can miss you for a couple days, Ace," he stated confidently. Of course, he could, since he had already notified "Old York" that Ms. Gilmore would be needing to take some time off.

He saw her making a mental pro-con list so he continued.

"I was thinking we'd go to London. See all the sights we could not the first time you were there. Then maybe we'd go to the countryside. I've always wanted to see the English country side in the winter," he mused. "Or, maybe Amsterdam… Paris. Oh! Berlin! That would be cool. But, if you don't want to do cold, or cities, we could go to the Caribbean, or both, whatever you want," he smirked.

"Logan!" she exclaimed, "I thought you said _a couple days. _You easily have three weeks of vacationing planned out!"

"Think about it. That's at least two, maybe three get out of dinner excuses, if we leave next week. We will just be getting back, when the Gilmores leave for their annual Christmas skiing trip. We wouldn't have to think about them until mid-January."

Her look slowly changed. He could tell that she was getting more excited about their possible trip.

"Besides, we can take the jet. I know how you hate to fly commercial," he teased her playfully.

"London, huh?" she asked mock wearily, since she had already made up her mind. He flashed a big smile, glad that she caved this easily. "Well, I've always wanted to see the English countryside…," she said as she leaned over the table, to give Logan a quick kiss on the cheek.

"But," she said as she pulled back, "I kind of want to see the sun, too" she bit her lip.

This girl did a total180. Logan thought he would have to do some more persuading to get her on board for a weeklong Caribbean cruise on a private yacht, but apparently not.

"That can be arranged, Ace" he laughed and kissed her lips lightly.

She smiled widely, suddenly very excited about the spontaneous vacation. "It'll be our last vacation before _it_" she whispered that last part, as if she did not want the baby to hear her talking about it.

"Don't want the baby to hear?" he questioned jokingly.

"Yeah, something like that…" she laughed and shook her head. He knew her so well.

Rory got up, walked over to Logan and sat on his lap. "I love you and your goofy ideas"

She placed a light kiss on the top of his head. "Maybe we'll finally have some time to talk about the wedding plans," she said running her hands through his hair. He swallowed hard. Was Rory on to something? He laughed lightly, hoping he had not given anything away. "Yeah, I guess we will," he shrugged.

"Well," she said getting up off his lap, "I'm going to call the magazine, and beg for my time off…."

"No" he said, stopping dead in his tracks. The great Logan Huntzburger, self-proclaimed King of Surprises came _this close _to ruining his own surprise.

"No?" Rory turned back to Logan and cocked her head to the side, "I'm going to need that time off, you know….."

"No, I know" he shook his head, trying to come up with an excuse. "I meant, sit with me a while longer," he said, motioning so she would come back to sit with him.

"Cute" she chuckled, turned sharply and started looking for her phone.

"Be that way!" he called after her, relieved that she hadn't seen through his plan, "I'm just going to use this time that I could have spent with you, checking my emails."

He heard her laugh as he got up and went to his office.

* * *

_TO:Lorelai Gilmore, Christopher Hayden, Luke Danes, Honor & Josh, Sookie St. James, Lane Kim, Stephanie ,Colin ,Finn ,Paris_

_FROM: Logan Huntzburger_

SUBJECT: Mission Impossible?

_Just a quick note to let you guys know that everything is moving according to plan. Rory thinks we are going away for a few weeks in an attempt to dodge the grandparents._

_We will be leaving December 5 at 10:00 a.m. We will stay in London city for a few days, giving us time to explore the sites and to throw our respective bachelor/bachelorette parties (nothing too crazy Finn and Lorelai!)_

_Then we will be heading out to the country to Lumley Castle where the actual wedding will take place. Stephanie, Paris, Lane and Honor do not worry about your dresses; Lorelai is taking care of them. Men, do not forget to pack your tuxedos. We will stay at the castle for three nights._

_The jet will fly out to the Bahama's where we have all been booked at the Atlantis Resort. We will spend one night here, then Rory and I will leave for our honeymoon cruise. You guys can relax at the resort for the rest of the week – it's our wedding present to you! We will meet you back at the Resort for one last meal before we head back to New York. A full description of the itinerary is attached, don't worry._

_Any questions, contact me through this email, since it's the only one Rory doesn't have access to. We've kept it a secret for this long, let's keep it like that, okay? Thank you guys for all your support. I couldn't have done it without you._

_See you Saturday, 10 a.m. sharp._

_Logan._

* * *

Logan reread his email, genuinely happy that everything was turning out as he planned. He was just about to minimize his email screen when the icon in the bottom right hand corner alerted him he had mail.

* * *

_FROM:Lorelai Gilmore_

_TO:Logan Huntzburger_

_Subject: RE:Mission Impossible_

_I am appalled you would think I would throw an outrageous bachelorette party…. I might just have to let her get married in Mrs.Kim's wedding dress for that oh, so, obvious dig in that email!!  
On the other hand, it is an awesome itinerary! I need to live to see this Atlantis resort!!_

_Aw, you really are too smooth for your own good, Huntzburger!_

_With Love,_

_Your mother in law (freaked you out there, right kid?)_

* * *

Logan laughed aloud as he read Lorelai's email. _She_ was really too much for her own good.

He noticed that Finn also replied.

* * *

_FROM: Finn  
TO: Logan Huntzburger  
SUBJECT: Mission Accepted_

_Mate!_

_I'm deeply saddened you think it's necessary to warn me – in a group email no less – about my party throwing ways. No worries mate, you will get the best send off to married life. I'm sure London has enough liquor and red heads… FOR ME._

_Quite a trip you've planned out there – Rory love is lucky to have you, though you realize us normal blokes hate you now. Terribly high standards to live up to and what not… Curses Huntzburger!_

_I'll try not to be hung over Saturday._

_All the best,_

_Finnegan_

* * *

"Come on, Ace! The car's waiting!" Logan yelled towards the bedroom from the hallway where he was standing. He was all ready to go. His bags were down in the town car, his coat was on, he had checked to see if he had his credit card, reservations and passports. He did a walkthrough of the house, double-checking that everything was off and that there was not any unnecessary garbage lying around since he hated coming home to a mess.

He glanced down at his watch – 9.50 a.m. "Ace!" he sighed. "Hurry up! It's ten to ten; we've booked the plane for 10!"

"I know!" she yelled back. Normally she was very punctual and organized, but since the pregnancy, her timing had been a little off. "I just need to get this bag to close!"

Logan walked into the bedroom to find Rory sitting on her suitcase, trying to close it. Never in a million years would it close, since half of her clothes were hanging out of the sides. She seriously over packed.

"Ace," Logan smirked, "that's never going to work…."

She got up off the suitcase, which promptly swung back open. Rory laughed, "I guess you're right"

She ran over to her closet and pulled out another suitcase. "I'll just be a minute," she said apologetically.

"Rory, Rory, no, we don't have time!" he said grabbing her two previously backed suitcases.

"I'm sure this is enough!" We'll get the rest there, if you need anything," he said eyeing her suitcases.

"But…" she protested

"Rory" he glanced at her warningly. "Do you have a dress?"

"Yes"

"Jeans?"

She nodded

"A t-shirt and a sweater?"

"Uh-huh"

"Bra and panties?"

She smiled.

"Bikini?"

"Yeah"

"Toiletries?"

"Sure"

"Shoes?"

"Of course!"

"Book?"

"Several" she nodded.

"I-pod?"

"Duh"

"Cell?"

Laughing, she held up her cell-phone for him to see.

"Well, then, Ace, we're set! Let's go!" he said, grabbing her hand, leading her to the door.

"You've got the passports, reservations and credit cards?" she questioned.

"Ace!" he exclaimed, triple checking he indeed had the passports, reservations and credit cards, which he of course, still had.

"We are leaving!"

* * *

The couple arrived at JFK's private airstrip just over an hour late. All things considered, it wasn't that bad.

"That's not our jet is it?" Rory asked, as Logan helped her out of the car. "It's so big!"

"Well, we aren't exactly going to be alone…," He wanted to see how long he could drag out the surprise.

"Oh," she said slightly disappointed, "HPG business partners?" she pointed at the jet.

Logan took her carry-on bag, leaving her only to carry her purse, and led her towards the stairs. "Not exactly…," he smirked.

She glanced down at him, noticing his goofy smile. He sure had been acting happy the last few weeks.

"After you, my dear" he said, directing her to get in the plane. He got in after her, and stood next to her as she took in her surroundings.

The first two seats had matching "his and her" pillows, with Mrs. Logan Huntzburger and Mr. Rory Gilmore needle pointed on them. Behind the empty seats sat her mother, wearing an "I'm with the Bride" white baseball cap, and Luke. Rory looked around, and saw her best friends, Paris, Lane and Steph sitting in matching "bridal sweats". Honor and Josh were next to them. Honor was donning the wedding sweats _and _a cap like Lorelai's. She saw Sookie and Jackson – Sookie was wearing a pin that read: "I made the cake". Behind Sookie and Jackson were Colin and Finn. Finn was wearing a tee shirt that read "Eligible Bachelor." Rory also noticed Christopher and Gigi. Gigi was wearing a plastic tiara with a tiny veil, and she was clamping on to her "pregnant" Barbie – one of those with a detachable stomach, except Gigi had styled her Barbie in a wedding dress for the special occasion.

Rory squeezed Logan's hand as she took in her surroundings once again. The plane was decked out in all sorts of wedding decorations. At this second glance, she noticed all of the guys were wearing badges, that read 'Groomsmen'.

"Close your mouth, Ror!" Lane yelled excitedly from her seat. She, like all the other bridesmaids, were super excited!

Rory did as she was told, as tears welled up in her eyes. "Logan!" she sniffed. She wacked his shoulder lightly, "these aren't business men!'

"Sorry to disappoint, Love!" Finn yelled.

"Ace," Logan put his arm around her still slim waist and pulled her in closer, "these aren't business men!" he agreed jokingly.

"So, we're getting married?" she asked, still somewhat confused.

"Yes…," he said confidently, "that is, if you still want to?" he looked down at her, looking directly in her big blue eyes.

"Of course!" she breathed, "I love you," she kissed him lightly in the lips, which was met by a mixture of hoots, whistles and mock gagging.

"Eloping in England" she said dreamingly as she pulled away from the kiss, ignoring the ruckus her friends and family were making. "It's perfect! I can't believe you arranged all of this, babe"

"Now, don't get your hopes up….," he warned with a twinkle in his eyes. "You don't even know what's going to happen. Maybe it's just a quick ceremony in some _dodgy old pub,_" he said attempting a British accent.

She laughed, and replied in an equally bad British accent, "No worries, mate. I'm sure it'll be splendid!"

With that, they kissed again, but broke apart as Lorelai got up and passed a tray of sparkling apple juice around. "Three cheers for the almost bride and groom".

The wedding guests erupted in a loud applause, and everyone got up from their seats to congratulate the soon to be married couple. Once the congratulations died down every one scrambled to find their seats and prepare for the long awaited take off.

After take-off the women congregated on one side of the aircraft, and the men on the other.

"Don't worry, Rory, we've got wedding sweats for you, too. Yours are the cutest lavender color!" she said, digging through her bag, looking for sweats.

Meanwhile, Lorelai placed a tiara on her head, just like the one Gigi had, and Lane was talking a million miles an hour about how the Rory/Logan romance was just like something she read in a Harlequin Novel.

"Wait!" Rory laughed, "You read Harlequin Novels?" Rory's eyes widened.

"What!" Lane defended, "What's a girl to do when her man is away on tour for six months at a time?"

"I'm with Lane, Gilmore – have you ever tried sex-texting?" Paris interjected. "I do it all the time, now that Doyle is away on business….damn paper industry!" she clarified.

Rory just rolled her eyes. It was great to be around her friends, and have her mind off of all the seriousness that she and Logan had endured that last months.

"So…." Rory sighed, getting her girls attention again, "what do you know about the wedding?"

"NO!" Lorelai said, spreading out her arms in an attempt to cover the girls mouths, "NO TELLING! That man candy over there" she tilted her head in the general direction of the men, "has sworn me to secrecy on my…" C-O-F-F-E-E she mouthed, afraid she otherwise might upset the baby, "so, **telling is a big no-no!** Rory cannot know a thing. It's should all main a surprise" Lorelai's eyes widened as she said surprise.

All the girls burst out in laughter. "Rory, it's going to be amazing!" Honor said sincerely. "You'll love it! Now, put on those sweats, girlie, and get the celebrations underway!" She held up her "champagne" flute and let out an excited scream.

* * *

"The ladies sure seem to be enjoying themselves," Colin said, keeping his gaze firmly on Stephanie.

"What do you think they are talking about?" Jackson asked.

"Probably something dirty!" Finn exclaimed, fixing himself another alcoholic beverage. For this comment, Finn received dirty looks from all the men. "It's the truth, fellows!" he defended lightly.

"Well," Christopher said, "It really is something you've planned out, Logan. You know this sets the tone. No birthday or anniversary may ever be forgotten," he took a sip from his drink, as the guys laughed. They all could imagine what it was like to _forget their girl's birthday or anniversary. _Talk about being in the doghouse.

"We didn't get you any fancy sweats..." Luke said, pointing at the sweats all the woman were wearing rolling his eyes, "but, we did get you this" he slid the pin across the table. The navy blue pin simply read GROOM, just like the other men's pins.

"I see Lorelai decided on a very match-y theme…" Logan smirked as he pinned the pin on.

He had enlisted her help on planning the wedding, since he figured that Lorelai knew her daughter's tastes the best. Logan picked the location, though Lorelai designed and made the wedding and bridesmaids dresses, picked the flowers, arranged the decorations, consulted with Sookie on food and arranged the details like the wedding sweats, needle point pillows and groomsmen pins.

He had seen everything and told her his preferences, but left a lot of the decisions up to Lorelai. Truthfully, all Logan wanted to do was marry Rory and celebrate it with his friends. If that meant a ceremony at civil hall and take-out, he would have been just as happy, though, he did have a soft spot for thinking up grand gestures. Luckily, he had Lorelai there to help him.

About halfway through the flight the gang mingled again for a late lunch, and remained eating, talking and drinking for the rest of the trip. It was easily one of the fasted Atlantic crossover's Logan had been on, but then again, company was much better this time around.

All too soon, the crazy wedding party made their way back to their seats and strapped their seatbelts for arrival.


	14. Chapter 14

**Hello Hello,**

**Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for all the GREAT responses for chapter 13! Yay!  
This chapter is the first part of the wedding/elopement. It's a lot of fluff, but I like it. I am a sucker for the romance. It was kind of hard to write all the different characters, I kind of forgot how many I "invited" to the wedding. Oops! Hope that turned out okay, let me know!  
Anyway, not sure when I can update next, depends on the reviews. Kidding. Maybe Sunday or so. So, you know what to do: r&r. **

**Enjoy,  
GilmoreGirl 19 **

**Disclaimer: don't own gilmore girls, gordon ramsay, claridges, lumley castle or london!**The private jet landed smoothly at London Heathrow International Airport at 5.15 p.m. London time. Logan led the way, with Gigi propped up on his hip, the group of sweat pant clad woman and men carrying the woman's carryon bags trailing behind, through the busy customs area.

* * *

In New York, they had gotten preferential treatment, but the London officials had been slightly less impressed by the Huntzburger name, and thus, the group had to stand in line just like the rest of the travelers.

"This line is the shortest, guys!" Logan yelled over his shoulder, "passports at the ready!" Then he directed his attention towards Gigi.

"This beats walking, right, Jean?" he questioned jokingly. He actually liked Gigi a lot, so he did not mind carrying her through the crowded airport.

Gigi buried her face in Logan neck, giggling. "This is funner!"

"More fun, Jean" Rory corrected gently, she couldn't help it. Correcting was in her journalistic blood.

She kissed Logan's cheek, "You walk too fast!" Rory whispered, slightly out of breath.

"I could have died from exhaustion, or lost you in the crowd! What way is that to treat your wife to be?" she said louder now, upping the fake dramatic undertone. Logan just rolled his eyes and smirked.

The group of fifteen cleared passport control and made their way out of the airport. A jet-black stretch limo was waiting for them. Lorelai, Chris, Luke, Sookie, Jackson, Finn, Colin, Stephanie, Paris, Lane, Honor, Josh, one by one climbed into the limo. The others were sitting waiting for Logan, Rory and Gigi.

"I want to sit with you" Gigi could be heard saying from outside the car.

"That's fine" Rory said as she entered the limo, making herself comfortable before she instructed Gigi to enter. Logan quickly followed, and buckled in Gigi, before asking if Rory was feeling alright, and kissing her lightly on the top of her head.

The rest of the group watched in silence at the little domestic scene that had just taken place.

"Wow," Lorelai said and let out a low whistle that was met by laughter from the rest.

"What?" Rory questioned innocently which was met by more laughter.

"Nothing, love" Finn said, still smiling like an idiot. "It was just like someone pressed the fast forward button to the "Rory and Logan show circa 2016"

Rory and Logan shot the group un-amused looks.

"Oh, enough with the look, Rory" Lane sighed dramatically, "It's cute – that's all we're saying"

Everyone else took on an expression of mock remorse and nodded in agreement as if to say, "don't be mad at us, you know it's true". Logan smirked; these people he considered family were really an eclectic, but fitting group. Rory stuck out her tong. Oh, how she loved all these people and their craziness.

Then, she directed her attention towards Logan. "So, where are we going?" she questioned slyly, hoping her would give her a little bit more information.

"I don't know, Ace" he shrugged, "James does," he said casually and pointed towards the front of the car, indicating that the driver clearly knew where they were supposed to go.

With that, the car started and drove off into the glorious city of London.

After about forty five minutes, the limo stopped in front of Claridges Hotel. Sookie was the first to notice where they were and let out a deafening squeal.

"Gordon Ramsay at Claridges! Oh my God! Here I am, in London, at THE Gordon Ramsay's restaurant! I wonder if he's really mean, like he is on TV. Oh, Jackson, give me my camera. I need a picture!" Sookie rambled excitedly.

The group burst out laughing – if Sookie was that excited to _see_ a famous restaurant, how would she react actually getting to eat there.

Suddenly, the door opened. "Good evening, and welcome to Claridges" a proper British voice greeted them.

The group of fifteen made their way out of the limo and into the luxurious hotel. There a middle-aged woman met them. She had perfectly curled silver hair, gold colored half-moon glasses on a gold chain around her neck, and a cream-colored two-piece skirt set with matching cream-colored pumps. She held a large folder tightly in her arm. She introduced herself as Mrs. Weller, Claridges group-event coordinator.

"Mr. Huntzburger, Ms. Gilmore, pleasure to meet you after all this time," she beamed in her British accent. Logan and Lorelai made their way to the front of the group; the couple was standing with the rest of their guests in a half of circle around them. "Mrs. Weller!" Lorelai exclaimed, 'great to meet you to!" Lorelai shook her hand. Logan followed suit.

"Pleasure to meet you all, as well" Mrs. Weller sent a polite smile to the others. "Now, please follow me and we will get you comfortable for your stay with us."

She led the group into a conference room. There she gave each guest a folder with all the information needed for the trip. Mrs. Weller explained the services Claridges provided and talked about the amenities. She ended the little assembly by handing out the room keys.

"So, what floor are we on?" Rory asked Logan as she got up. "I'm in the Brook Pent house" he said putting the keycard in his pocket.

"Wait" Rory grabbed Logan's arm, forcing him to turn to her, "_you're _in the Brook Pent house?" she narrowed her eyes. "What about me?"

Just then, Honor sneaked up behind her, squealing, "Bridesmaids super suite!"

"Have fun, Ace" Logan smirked, kissing her cheek. "Don't forget to write your vows!"

"What?" Rory croaked. She was shocked; she needed time – she wanted her vows to be perfect. Logan was already walking towards the rest of the men.

"Logan!" she called after him. "How long do I have?" she tried, but he ignored her. He knew it would aggravate her, but he also wanted to keep her on her toes.

He and the guys walked off, to their pent house suite, the girls moved in the opposite direction, towards their temporary living quarters.

"He wants me to write my vows, like now!" Rory exclaimed. "I can't, I… I need time….," she started to ramble.

"Hon," Lorelai said kindly, "you are forgetting mommy planned this. I know everything," she laughed evilly. "Down to the color of Logan's boxers" she raised her eyebrows suggestively.

"Mom!" Rory yelled, covering her ears.

All the girls laughed as they made their way to their suite.

By now, it was eight p.m. and the girls decided that they would stay in for the night. They had entered the fancy suite, to find the luggage stowed, and a large table set up with all sorts of snacks, soft drinks for Rory and Gigi and champagne for the others. On a smaller table, an enormous bouquet of flowers was placed, and three dozen DVDs stacked next to it.

Stephanie was the first to notice and quickly made her way over to the flowers, and read the attached card aloud.

She cleared her throat as to get the girls attention.

"_Ace, hope you aren't too bummed about not spending the night with me….but bachelor/bachelorette parties are tradition. Enjoy the movies. They are your favorites. _

_See you at breakfast! _

_I love you – Logan" _

Stephanie giggled as she finished, and took a long swig of her champagne. Jet-lag and alcohol really did not mix that well. The other girls said "aw" or made smooching noises. Rory sighed and cocked her head to the side, "Really, ladies, grow up" was all she had to say.

"I'm starving. Where is the real food?" Paris said, sipping the complementary champagne.

'Ooh!" Sookie clapped her hands, "Maybe Gordon Ramsay does room-service!"

"Sookie" the girls sighed and collectively rolled their eyes.

"Let's get pizza!" Honor suggested

"No, Chinese" Lorelai countered

"I'm hungry" Paris said again.

"Do you think the guys will have a stripper?" Rory wondered

"I'm tired" Sookie said to no one in particular

"I want to shower" Stephanie replied

"What are we going to do tomorrow?" Lane asked

"Have you seen my Barbie?" Gigi asked as she yawned

Lorelai sighed; this nonsense babbling was not going to get them anywhere. Besides, she knew what they were going to do tomorrow, and a good night's sleep was important.

She whistled and the room quieted down. "I suggest we all get showered, and changed into our PJ's, order some room service…" she glanced at Sookie, "I'm sure Logan has planned to take us to Gordon Ramsay's thing, babe, and watch one episode of Friends." She held up the DVD case. "Sounds like a plan?"

The girls cheered at Lorelai's plan and toasted to a glorious evening.

* * *

The men entered their penthouse suite, to find that their bags had also been put away and they enjoyed the same spread of champagne, sodas and snacks.

"Well, I'm set" Colin said, balancing his plate of snacks and soda and installing himself on the couch.

"Me, too" Jackson mimicked Colin and sat down next to him. The rest of the boys did the same.

They lazily sat around, drinking and talking for a few hours. It was nice, since the men really did not know each other. Logan was worried it might be awkward between Christopher and Luke or that Josh would be the odd man out, but this little bonding session over food and sodas had really done them good. One by one, they took a shower, and went to bed.

* * *

The girls awoke to a loud knocking. "Go away!" Paris yelled sleepily, but the door opened anyway. Seven smartly dressed, bright-eyed men stood in the foyer. "We are here to pick you ladies up for breakfast." Finn said sweetly eyeing the complete mess in the room.

The guys had expected to find the women showered, dressed and hungry, instead he found Stephanie and Honor on one couch, sound asleep, across from them Sookie and Lorelai, Rory on the chaise lounge with a legal pad next to her. Gigi was sleeping in the fetus position in a big armchair. Lane was entangled in a thick comforter on the carpet, next to her another comforter and a pillow. The men assumed that this is where Paris had been sleeping. Scattered on the floor were soda cans, chocolate wrappers, champagne flutes, pizza boxes, an empty room service cart, an array of balled up yellow paper and four or five DVD boxes. It seems that the girls had a good first night of bachelorette partying.

Rory awoke and sat up. Her hair was messy and stuck out all over the place. Her eyes had dark rings around them – mascara stained and she was missing an earring. Subconsciously she touched the gold locket around her neck. She smiled.

'Morning to you too, Ace" Logan smirked, he loved how un-put together she looked in the morning.

She just groaned. How could he be so chipper in the morning?

The other girls started to wake up and all of them muttered, 'Coffee! I need coffee. Where's the coffee maker?"

Finn, Colin and Logan noticed Rory sitting there, getting paler and paler at each mention of her once beloved drink.

"Uh, ladies" Finn interrupted the hunt for coffee, "you are forgetting about the little one."

Honor sighed, "There is juice for Gigi!"

Finn coughed and cocked his head towards Rory. "Oh" she said flatly, and then all the girls joined her in a collective, sympathetic 'oh'.

Rory got up, walking quickly towards the bathroom. "It's okay – I just need to…uh" she turned quickly on her heal.

Rory returned from the bathroom, to find the guys picking up the suite and all the girls out on the balcony drinking coffee.

"We told them to take it out there" Josh said sympathetically. "Can't have you sick on your wedding week," he joked.

"Week, huh," Rory smiled slyly, happy to have received this tidbit of information.

"Josh" Logan warned playfully as he walked up to Rory from behind and placed his arms around her waist. He knew that Rory could suck information out of anyone. He knew Josh wasn't fully aware of Rory's powers. Logan gave Rory a small kiss on her cheek.

"I brushed my teeth, you know" Rory said flirtatiously.

"So?" Logan said, as if he hadn't picked up her obvious hint.

Rory took matters into her own hands and kissed him on the lips.

"Morning" she said as she pulled away.

"Quite a thingy you guys had going on here" Logan said. Rory turned her attention back towards the room and noticed all her legal pad balls.

"Oh my God!" she exclaimed, "my vows!"

Logan smirked, he knew Rory would need a couple of tries to figure out the perfect vows. She sat down in the middle of the living room flattening out the papers again. She skimmed them as she did this, and smiled at some bits. She then placed them all in her reading book. "I'll just finish it later" she winked at Logan, who was curiously observing her.

He glanced down at his watch. "We've got to get going. Some of you girls can use our showers, if you need to" he offered, as Colin went to get the caffeine buzzed woman off the balcony.

Within a half hour, everyone was ready. It had been a total mad house, with seven adult woman showering, applying make-up and fixing their hair. Finn, Jackson and Christopher had gotten Gigi ready, since the woman had not really even bothered to wake her up.

After breakfast, Mrs. Weller met them again shortly, to guide them out the back way of the hotel where a large red English double-decker bus was waiting for them.

"Wow Logan!" Gigi screamed excitedly and ran up to him for hug. "Are we going on the bus?"

He smirked, as Finn, Colin, Stephanie, Honor, Lane and Sookie mimicked the little girls' question.

That day had been amazing. The gang visited all of London's most important tourist attractions. First, they had taken a whirl on the London Eye, to get a good view of the city. Then, they were off to Buckingham Palace, Tower Bridge, Big Ben, a river cruise on the Themes, and a number of museums. In the late afternoon, the guys went to a pub, since the girls wanted to go shopping. The men willingly handed over their credit cards to the women and told them to be back at the Half Moon Pub at 5 p.m.

The girls showed up only fifteen minutes late. Each of them had two full bags of souvenirs, clothes, make-up and in Rory's case a union jack "onesie" and books.

"Daddy!" Gigi ran up to her Dad and jumped up on his lap. "Aunt Lorelai got me these!" Gigi proceeded to open her bag, and pull out a British flag beaded necklace, Union Jack mod-style earring, red white and blue bangles bracelets, white sunglasses and a red, white, blue pinstriped headband.

Gigi showed each item to her father and the other men at the table and put them one. She was literally turning into a British Flag. Gigi was laughing happily, and Rory handed her another bag.

'And she got me this….,' she said and pulled a dress from the bag, "Lorelai says I can wear this to the wedding!" She carefully unfolded the dress. It was a short dress, with a glittery Union Jack. On the back, "Britain is brillz" was written in cursive sparkly script. "I love it!" Gigi squealed, as the rest of the group tried to hold back their laughter. Gigi played the part so well.

"Lor!" Chris scolded. He was clearly _not amused._ "What were you thinking? She can't wear that to the wedding. She can't wear that _ever_!" Lorelai smirked and waved the issue away, "Gigi knows I've got a much prettier dress for the wedding." She looked at Gigi, "Right G?" Gigi nodded.

"Just be lucky she didn't get the matching go-go boots," Sookie laughed. With that, Chris knew he was defeated, and that his little girl had a whole bag of red, white and blue accesories. After another round of drinks, the whole group left the pub in laughter.

"So," Rory said, linking her arm in Logans' as they climbed back in the bus, "What are _my_ plans for tonight?"

He pretended he had to think about the answer. "I guess you'll just have to ask Lorelai. It's party night. Just make sure you are ready at 1 p.m tomorrow afternoon. We have a reservation at Ramsay's"

He whispered that last part to Rory. She kissed him on the lips softly. She loved that he was making this trip special for everyone, not just her.

"Hey, Ace," he said quietly, as he pulled back from the kiss. 'Wear your ring tonight, okay?" She smiled; happy he wanted her to wear the ring.

"Okay" she said, mock reluctantly, just to toy with him. She smiled coyly. "_NO_ strippers!' she whispered. "I'll kill Finn. I'm assuming you like Finn more than a stripper, right?" she winked. He mimicked her earlier reluctant answer. 'Okay."

* * *

"Men!" Finn stood on a chair in the middle of the men's living quarters. He held up his whiskey tumbler, signaling he was beginning his speech.

"Tonight is a very important night, for it is tonight that our friend, comrade, and pal will know his last ever night as a singleton."

Finn paused dramatically, and took looked down at his drink.

"He is moving on, though, to a better life. He will be marrying the lovely Rory Gilmore – the one and only girl that tamed our boy."

The men let out small chuckles, though Logan didn't seemed bothered by Finn. It _was_ the truth after all.

"Logan, you are whipped". Finn emphasized his point by making a fake whip sound. "We all know that you and the young Gilmore girl are made for each other, but before you embrace your husband role, and fatherhood - we men would like to give you a proper send off. Get up, mate!"

Logan got up, as Finn hopped off his chair, and Josh handed Logan a tumbler of whiskey. Jackson put a tiny party hat on Logan's head, while Luke, Colin and Christopher set up the poker table. Logan let out a loud laugh.

'Finn," he said somewhat shocked, "this is it? No wild party, no crazy stunts, just poker?"

"Mate!" Finn placed his hand over his heart, in mock hurt, "It's never _just poker_ when one is with Finn!"

Logan knew his friend was right. The Australian boy never did anything _just normal_. It was always extravagant and over the top. Logan glanced down at the poker table and noticed it was not a poker game at all.

It was the game of Life, a custom-made version of the game of Life, but a board game nonetheless. Finn had changed the rules so that it was part drinking game, part truth or dare and oddly enough part karaoke. The guys had a blast, all they really needed was some booze, snacks and they would have had a good time, anyway.

The party really was Logan's idea of a perfect bachelor party. It sounded cheesy, but since he had been with Rory, he did not really want to go out, or have a stripper at his bachelor party.

* * *

"Ladies!" Lorelai exclaimed importantly as she stood up, "what do you think of this dress?" she held up a purple tunic dress she had bought today.

"It's cute!" Lane said, but Lorelai had already tossed it to the side.

'I'm kidding." She smiled, slightly nervously and started her speech.

"You all know that, that glorious piece of man meat a.k.a. Logan has arranged this trip so my baby girl could get married. It's the only way I would allow it,"

The girls laughed and Lorelai continued, "seriously, kid, we are all so happy for you. You really have trained him well!"

They laughed again.

"No, it's the real deal, here, hon. It's definitely early bird special, his&her towels kind of love." She smiled lovingly at her daughter.

"I'm happy you've found it. So, we are here to celebrate you last night of bachelorette-dom. When I planned this when you were a kid I always thought we'd go to Atlantic city, find a nice gigolo or twelve and get totally wasted, but that plan went down the drain the moment the stick turned blue," she glared at Rory in mock anger, but continued quickly.

"But, I've found a totally mom-to-be, let's keep it PG alternative," she said happily. She held up her champagne glass. "Rory, you are officially the luckiest girl in the world! We wish you a life full of love, laughter and happiness. Welcome to your last night as a single chick, and to celebrate, I say "beauty night", yes, "beauty night" ladies. Bring in the men!"

She held up her hands, as seven gorgeous masseurs walked in, together with a make-up specialist, though she went unnoticed. The girls screamed enthusiastically and started eyeing the delicious specimens that just walked.

Rory ran over to her Mom. "Mom! This is amazing!" she exclaimed, as she pulled her mother into a hug. "It's the closest thing to a Logan approved gigolo," Lorelai laughed.

The girls, including Gigi, made their way over to their massage table. Then they were scrubbed, peeled and plucked. The makeover woman gave them movie-star makeovers.

The hairstylist gave them each a fabulous up-do with matching tiaras and veils. There was girl talk, pizzas, movies, popcorn, make-up, soda, booze, and a karaoke machine. It was one giant grown up sleepover. In one word, Rory's bachelorette party was perfection.


	15. Chapter 15

**Hi! **

**So, I know I said that the wedding would take place **_**this**_** chapter, but I lied. It's the next. Definitely, absolutely positive it's the next. I think. I am **_**very**_** excited about the wedding; it's definitely one of my dream weddings. I am such a girl. **

**Anyway, I wanted to take this opportunity to thank all my lovely reviewers that pushed this story to the over 100-review mark. So, thanks, SassyAnni, SingingSailor, RoryAceHayden, RoryAceHuntzburger, peterpan27, Curley-Q, Welcometolalaland,Bg07com, writergirl2011,iyasunflower,gilmorecrazed2010,chlarkforever84, kat321, gilmorecrazed and all you other's that have reviewed. Thanks so much! **

**And, I don't want to forget the people that have put this on their favorite list /alert list. Thanks :)**

**Enjoy,**

**Gilmoregirl19**

**PS: As always, read and review!! Love it! Let me know if you have any suggestions, or if you want to see more interaction between certain characters. I have the plot kind of figured out; but I'm always open to suggestions! **

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own the Gilmore Girls! Lumley Castle is a real castle and the information provided has been paraphrased off the offical website. It's being used for fictional purposes only, though! The way I described the castle is nothing like it really is, I made that part up!! I don't own it! I also don't own Gordon Ramsay's at Claridges, or Claridges hotel! **

* * *

Paris woke early the following morning and walked into the living room, finding Rory furiously writing on a yellow legal pad.

"Why are you up so early?" Paris snapped. The Geller Girl definitely was not a morning person.

Rory didn't look up from her notes and continued writing.

"I could ask you the same," she said preoccupied with her writing.

"This is the only time I can talk to Doyle. I don't know when I'll be able to talk to Doyle again. I don't know what we'll be doing next, for all I know Logan will take us to some godforsaken place out of cell range…." Paris was rambling.

"I thought you all knew the itinerary. I thought I was the only one left in the dark," Rory interrupted, still scribbling on her pad.

"I know the itinerary, Rory, but I don't know what we'll be doing _exactly_," Paris clarified. "It could be something out of cell range!"

"I doubt it, Paris. My mother helped plan this, remember, and my mother needs to be in cell range," Rory effectively put an end to Paris's neurotic rant.

She finally looked up from her notes and saw Paris fumbling with her phone. Rory smiled, glad that Paris had found her Logan. She couldn't wait for them to finally tie the knot. They'd been dancing around the subject for about a year now. 'Just go call him, Paris. It's okay to miss him, you know," Rory gave Paris a quick smile and continued writing.

* * *

About twenty minutes later a clearly relaxed Paris reentered the living room. She sat down on the couch and stared at Rory. She was sitting in a leather armchair, in the hotel robe, her hair in a messy ponytail, completely hunched over her legal pad, empty soda cans and balled up paper scattered on the side table. Rory was biting her lower bottom lip. After a minute or two of careful observation, Paris coughed to get Rory's attention. Rory didn't respond, so Paris sighed obnoxiously instead. It remained silent.

"Earth to Rory, earth to Rory"

"Just a second, Paris" Rory said absentmindedly

"That better not be work – you're on your vacation!"

"It's not," Rory finally looked up. Paris noticed that she looked _very_ stressed for a girl who had gotten a hot stone massage and a facial the other night. Rory held up her legal pad to show Paris what she had been working on. Instead of pages and pages of perfect penmanship there was a large outline of a heart, _Mrs. Rory Huntzburger _written in cursive script, a tiny flower, three stick figures with "me" "Logan" and "it" written underneath it.A smaller heart, L.O.V.E written in 3-D letters and another flower were drawn in the bottom left hand corner.

Paris looked at the scribbles.

"You know you can't read that at the wedding," she said seriously to Rory.

"I know. I know!" Rory sighed frustrated. "I just… I can't. I… I… don't know. I can't write."

Rory got up from her armchair and started pacing.

"The words… are stupid. I love… him. Duh. Words, it's not…" she paused her crazy rambling, "it's not enough. It, it's got to be… perfect," she finally said, looking at Paris. "His vows are probably perfect. I hate him!" Rory threw her hands up in despair.

"Hey," Paris got up and pulled Rory into a comforting hug. "Don't worry about his vows," she soothed. "You are a great writer; you were editor-in-chief of the Yale Daily News, for crying out loud."

The girls smiled at the memory.

"Just write what comes to you. It'll be great." Paris pulled away from the hug as she realized that she – Paris Geller heart of stone – was hugging her friend.

"Thanks Paris, I, uh, just freaked out." Rory smiled weakly.

"Whatever, Gilmore," she said regaining composure. "I owed you one."

The old friends sat in comfortable silence, Rory taking another attempt at vow writing, and Paris watching muted T.V., pausing every so often to text Doyle.

"That better _not_ be a sex-text," Rory said dryly. Paris shot Rory a disappointed look. "I'm not the horn dog you think I am." Rory glared at her friend. "We are arguing about Tom & Jerry," Paris offered and pointed towards the silenced television.

Just as Rory was about to comment on the whole situation Stephanie and Lane walked in, quickly followed by Honor, Gigi, Sookie and Lorelai.

"So, what's on the agenda for today?" Rory asked the group, as they sat in the living room, in their white fluffy robes, sipping tea and eating Danishes. "I know it's our last day here, my info pack says so," she held up her booklet to prove her point, "check-out's at three fifteen." Rory said triumphantly, finally knowing at least one detail of the trip.

"We have lunch reservations at 1, that's all I know," Lorelai lied through her teeth.

"Mom," Rory sighed, slightly fed-up that _everything _was a big secret. "No, Rory, don't give us that!" Stephanie interjected. "This is why you love Logan, remember," she smiled.

"Fine, I'll just go talk to Jeanie, she's the only honest one here," Rory retorted, "I expect you all to be ready at 1, that means you _Mom,_" Rory glared playfully at her mother.

* * *

"So, do you think they had a male stripper?" Finn asked as the men walked over towards the girl's suite.

"Shut up, Finn" Luke scolded lightheartedly. The other men chuckled; it was precisely what they would have said.

"So, what do you think they did?" Finn asked getting back on topic.

"Why don't you ask them yourself," Josh suggested, as the group of men stopped at the girl's door.

Finn banged on the door loudly, and barged right in once it opened.

"My fellow lads are extremely nervous that you ladies had a bunch of male strippers and the like over here last night. Say it ain't so!" Finn cried dramatically.

"Shut up, Finn!" Stephanie said, and whacked the Australian boy on the head. "Just admit you want to know what we were up to!" She raised her eyebrows suggestively and Colin swallowed hard. Stephanie noticed.

'Don't worry, Col, it was all very PG-and-mom-to-be approved," she pressed a light kiss on his cheek. The two had been dating on-and-off since college, dating for a few months, and breaking it off when things got too serious, but getting extremely jealous if the other one had a date. It was incredibly immature, but at the same time, neither of them was ready to commit 100 to one another. It worked for them, though Rory and Logan hoped that one day their friends would get their act together.

"You guys ready for lunch?" Christopher looked at the woman. All of their luggage was stacked in the foyer, waiting to be picked up, they all were dressed and obliviously waiting for the next step.

"I don't want to leave!" Rory exclaimed, pulling Logan into a hug, "I love Claridges!" Logan smiled, and kissed her lightly. "I would have loved it more as a _married_ woman," she said jokingly, though with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

"Soon enough, Ace. Soon enough"

"Ready?" Colin questioned this time, and this time everyone shuffled towards the door.

"Bye super suite!" Stephanie waved dramatically.

"It was awesome!" Lane breathed, swinging her bag over her shoulder.

"I'll miss you," Sookie said sadly, placing a room service menu back in its holder.

"It was great!" Honor exclaimed, zipping up her bridesmaid hoody.

"Yeah, bye" Paris deadpanned

"Maybe I'll live to see you as a married woman" Rory sighed, subconsciously playing with her engagement ring, she had started wearing since last night, per Logan's request.

"Bye, Mr. Claridges!" Gigi squealed. Lorelai picked her up, "Thanks, super suite. It was great!"

The men just rolled their eyes at the women's antics. It was for the silly things like this, they loved them, right?

* * *

"Are we going where we think I'm going?" Sookie questioned nervously.

"If that would be the McDonalds, then, sadly, no" Logan smirked, and stopped in front of Gordon Ramsay's restaurant doors.

"Oh my God," Sookie exclaimed, "Gordon! Logan!" she bounced over to Logan and gave him a big hug.

"Thank-you thank-you thank-you! First you let me pick the wedding cake flavor, and then you take me to Gordon Ramsay!" She wiped a happy tear from her eye, and pointed to Rory.

'You've got a good man, missy. If I wasn't married to Jackson…."she stopped, smiled sweetly at her husband, and said, "Yeah, I won't finish that sentence". Sookie giggled again, she was just _so _excited.

'Good thinking, honey," Jackson just smiled.

Lunch at Gordon Ramsay's restaurant was quite an experience. Sookie sampled all the food, talked a hundred miles an hour about how perfectly everything was flavored and presented and she almost fainted when the master chef himself went out to greet the table.

* * *

"_The_ Gordon Ramsay kissed my hand. I'll never wash this hand again," Sookie, sighed like a love-struck teenager.

"Seriously, Sookie, it's getting embarrassing" Paris said flatly, and looked out the window of the limo. "How far to this, uh, place?"

"Well, I guess we can at least tell Rory where we'll be staying the next three nights," Logan said with a twinkle in his eye. His fiancé perked up, she had been lazily resting her head on Logan's shoulder.

"Really?"

"Sure," Logan shrugged as if it was not big deal. "We are off to Durham."

"And?" Rory tried to press him for more information.

"That's it. Durham, next three nights."

"So, I'm getting married in Durham, England." Rory said dreamily. "What do you think about that, Jean?" Rory poked her kid sister, suddenly getting very excited about the next three days. It did not really matter anymore, that Logan was leading her on; she thought it was all very romantic.

'No one said anything about getting married there, Ace," Logan teased, though he was fully aware that Rory instinctively _knew_ that Durham was the wedding location.

The limo was heading north and the weather was changing rapidly. In London, it had been overcast, drizzly and nowhere near freezing, now, halfway to Durham,it had starting snowing. Lorelai smiled widely, and made eye contact with Logan. "It's a sign!" she mouthed.

About five hours later, the limo turned on to a long drive way. It drove straight on for what seemed like miles, forest on either side of the road. At a certain point, the group noticed the bare trees where covered in bright white lights, and not too long after that the car stopped, and the driver let them out. They had finally arrived at Lumley Castle.

The group of fifteen stood there, snow up to their ankles, staring at the Castle. Logan and Lorelai had seen pictures, and thought it was beautiful, but seeing it in person and in the snow was magical.

"Logan," Rory breathed, and lightly touched Logan's arm. He turned to her, staring straight in her damp eyes, judging by her shocked but excited expression he assumed she was trying to hold back tears of joy. "Lumley Castle," she whispered. "It's perfect."

He smirked, and pulled her into a loving hug. "You've been here before?" he questioned, unsure how she figured out the name of the location so quickly. She shook her head, "It's been here since 1388, named after Sir Ralph Lumley – a popular soldier known for his bravery," she said as if it was something everyone should know. "He was a major player in the defence of Berwick-on-Tweed and he led the attack at the Battle of Otterburn!"

Logan never ceased to be amazed by Rory's vast knowledge of different subjects. "Battle of Otterburn, huh," he said impressed, leading the group up towards the entrance.

"Hey, Mate," Finn yelled from the back, carrying four pieces of luggage, "Not be a girl about it – but where is the help you'd expect to have a fancy establishment such as this?"

"I sent them home," Logan explained, digging through his laptop bag, "The whole place is ours for the next three days," he said nonchalantly. He turned around to see the shocked expressions of the group. "Don't worry," he laughed, "Some maids, a cleaning crew and some decorators will be over first thing in the morning."

"But not a chef, right?" Sookie asked, somewhat concerned. She didn't want some posh British chef stealing her thunder.

"No, Sook, not a chef," Logan answered, pulling a large manila envelope from his bag. Logan proceeded to pull out a large ring of keys and opened the large door to the castle entrance.

The group shuffled into the grand foyer, still taking all this information in. "So, all 73 rooms are ours?" Rory questioned in shock, of course she _would _know that there are 73 rooms.

Lorelai laughed, and pulled her daughter into a hug. "Out of this world, right?"

Colin, Luke and Josh muttered unbelievable and the girls all sighed, knowing that their weddings did not or will not ever live up to Logan's outrageousness.

After a glorious Indian take-out dinner, they all settled into their rooms. Rory bunking with Lane, since Logan told her they would not share a bed again until they were married. Rory showered, and pulled out her legal pad again and started working on her vows. This time, though, she knew exactly what to write.

* * *

On the other side of the castle, Logan was sitting in a leather armchair staring at his laptop screen.

"Logan?" Colin said, with his arm stretched, trying to hand Logan his drink.

"Give it up, Mate," Finn sighed, looking up from the Lumley Castle pamphlet he had been reading, 'he's too far gone. All this romantic mumbo-jumbo he's cooked up has cost him his brain," Finn stated matter-of-factly. "He's fried." Finn said with a slight chuckle.

Colin glared at Finn, and then looked back a Logan, who absentmindedly finally took his drink. After a long swig, Logan pushed his laptop to the side and said. "I don't know guys."

"What?" Colin and Finn answered simultaneously slightly concerned.

Logan didn't answer, so Colin asked, "Logan, buddy, if it's about your vows, I've read them. They are fantastic, she'll love them."

"Mate, if you have performance anxiety for the big-night, no worries – like 65 percent of newlyweds don't consummate it on the first night."

Logan smiled half-heartedly at his friends concern. "Finn, I _never _worry about performing and I'm pretty sure about the vows…," he trailed off. He wasn't sure if he wanted to admit this - he was Logan Huntzburger, mighty man of confidence after all.

He sighed. "What if I screw this up?"

"Mate…." Finn started, but Logan continued. "I did the first time around. I broke her, and she turned into a serial, uh, dater. I mean, we've talked about it. It's okay. But, what if I am a crappy husband?"

Finn and Colin snorted in disbelief.

"Don't laugh," Logan continued, "Now there's a baby involved, too. I can't be a Dad. Look at my Dad – what the hell did he teach me?"

Logan fell silent and looked down at his drink.

"Mate," Finn said seriously, "Mitchum Huntzburger is the blueprint for what _not _to do as a father. The way I see it you have it easier. When in fatherhood doubt, think what would Mitchum do, and then do the opposite."

'And,' Colin added, "You planned all this, made us normal boys look bad, you love Rory. It'll all work out. You will probably have your fights, like any other couple – but that's normal. You won't screw it up, and if you do Finn and I will hunt you down." He said that last part seriously, but with a twinkle in his eyes. If any couple could make it work it'd be Rory and Logan.

Logan mulled over his friends words, and sighed. 'I guess your guys are, right.' He smirked, getting back into his "role", "Let's chalk this up to pre-wedding jitters"

"Chalk what up?" Finn asked, feigning innocence, turning on the T.V.

* * *

The following morning Rory entered the lobby, on her way to the restaurant, but stopped when she saw Logan reading the paper by the wood burning fire.

"Morning,"

"Hey!" Logan exclaimed, folding up his paper, and laying it on the side table. "Good Morning, Ace." He stood up and kissed her full on the lips. "I've missed you," he said sincerely as they pulled apart. "Me too," Rory admitted, and looked around the lobby. "So, where is everybody?"

"Honor and Josh are taking a sleigh ride…"

"They have sleighs?" Rory interrupted excitedly.

Logan nodded and continued, "Stephanie and Colin are playing with Gigi in the snow. It really is a picture of domestic bliss," Logan smirked.

"Christopher, Jackson and Finn are having a snowball fight. Paris is doing some "texting"," He shot Rory a 'you don't wanna know look', "and Sookie and Luke are in the kitchen."

"Mom?"

"Is finishing up some wedding things…."

"I take it I'm not walking down the aisle today?" Rory pouted.

Logan smiled at her expression, feeling a little bad that he'd dragged this out for such a long time.

"Tomorrow, Ace. I promise," he said sincerely. "By 5.15 p.m. you'll be Mrs. Logan Huntzbuger."

She let out a deafening squeal and hugged him tight. "So, you were just going sit by the fire all day?" she asked as she let him go.

"No, today is our day. Our last day as boyfriend and girlfriend, my last chance to woo you – your last chance to change your mind," he smirked.

"Not a chance in the world!" She shook her head for emphasis.

He laughed, happy to see her so excited.

"So, sleigh ride, or ice skating?"

"Uh, both" Rory deadpanned. "But, first, some breakfast!"

* * *

"You know," Logan said, slowing the horse drawn sleigh down. "I had a minor freak-out last night."

"Really?" Rory said unfazed, and turned around to grab their picnic basket. "Coco?" she asked innocently, holding up the thermos.

"Yeah," Logan nodded. He was confused. "Uh, how come you aren't freaking-out about my freak-out?"

Rory smiled, and handed him his hot chocolate. "I'd be more worried if you didn't freak out. You haven't freaked once. Not about the baby, not about all the craziness we went through telling my parents, not once. I, on the other hand, am a walking freak-out. You, my friend, are entitled to your freak-out." She kissed him gently.

"Hey, you aren't a walking freak-out," he smirked.

"I think we just made it into the Guinness Book of Records for the most freak-outs used in one sentence," Rory laughed.

They cuddled in comfortable silence, enjoying each other's company and taking in the breathtaking wintery scenery.

"So," Rory said after a while, repositioning her body against Logan's, "why'd you freak?"

He laughed; he knew Rory's curiosity would get the better of her at some point. "I was worried I'd screw it up – the whole husband and father thing." Rory looked at him quizzically. "But, Finn and Colin talked some sense into me," he laughed, trying to make light of the situation.

"Babe," Rory breathed. She didn't want Logan to worry about these things; she knew he'd make a great husband and fantastic father. "I can't believe you turned to Colin and _Finn," _she said in mock-disbelief.

Logan shrugged, Rory grabbed his left hand, and lightly touched his cheek with her free hand. "Don't worry about this. You made one hell of a boyfriend; you took my mom, my dad, my friends and me to England to elope. You are going to make a great husband. You'll be a wonderful Dad, just look at you with Jean," she stated seriously. He looked at her and heard the trust and belief in her voice, he knew, in that moment, it_ would_ be okay.

"Thank-you" He kissed her forehead, "You don't need to freak, Ace, you will be an excellent mother and wife."

* * *

Lumley Castle was filled with excitement that evening. The countdown for the long-awaited wedding had finally begun.


	16. Chapter 16

**Okay, Okay, ****so you guys must really hate me – they don't get married yet. Yeah, I know. I KNOW. I can't help that I'm long winded. It's just that I was writing, and all the sudden – poof – I hit my 3000 word limit. And okay, I know the last two chapters were more towards 4000 words, but still, if I added the wedding in this chapter it would have been, like, 8000 words and to have one 8000 word chapter in a 3000 words a chapter story would look stupid. **

**But, no worries, the wedding has been written (I'm half way through) and it will be up shortly. So, don't kill me yet – I KNOW you are dying to read about it, so just sit back, relax and enjoy some more (but important, and hopefully, amusing) pre-wedding fluff. **

**Like always – read and review!! Even if you are hating me right now. I KNOW. I KNOW! **

**Love, **

**GilmoreGirl19**

**Disclaimer: Sadly, I do not own GG. **

* * *

"Mom, open up!" A crying Rory was banging on her mother's castle door in the middle of the night. It remained silent, so Rory continued banging again.

"Mom, I know you're in there!"

After what seemed like forever, the door opened slightly to reveal Lorelai wearing a blue silk camisole, and red, white and blue striped pajama pants. Lorelai silently opened the door, and immediately turned around, headed back to bed, as if on autopilot.

"Mom?" Rory questioned trying to get her mother's attention. Then she noticed Lorelai's clothing, "you have "brillz" written in glitter on your ass."

Lorelai stopped, and turned to face Rory. "You woke me up in the middle of the night, to tell me that? I know I have a glitter brillz stamped on my ass. I bought them, kid, you were there, you knew," she ranted, not realizing that Rory had to be there for a reason. She rubbed her hand over her face, noticed Rory's tear streaked face, and rushed over to her daughter.

"You didn't come over here to tell me that, right?" Lorelai questioned s0ftly, fully knowing the answer.

"No," Rory swallowed hard.

"Aw, honey. Come on; let's go to the other bedroom. Luke's still asleep." Lorelai swiftly led her daughter into the second bedroom, "Go get comfortable, I'll be right back."

Lorelai returned with a box of tissues, a bag of chips, half a box of doughnuts, a bag of M&M's and two sodas. Leave it to Lorelai to stock the mini-fridge with the essentials.

"Now, tell Mommy what's wrong," Lorelai commanded lightly, and handed Rory her soda.

"I'm getting married!" Rory wailed.

"I'm quite aware of that, I helped arrange it, you know." Lorelai gave Rory a quick smile.

Rory looked at her mother, and cried.

"Hey, come on," Lorelai pulled Rory into a hug. "Marriage isn't that bad! I mean, I _could_ tell you some stories, now that I've been married twice, but I'll wait for your anniversary," Lorelai joked, trying to lighten the mood, though it didn't really help. So, they sat there for a while, until Rory pulled away.

"I know, Mom. It's just…." Rory couldn't really put her finger on why she was upset. She woke up in the middle of the night, soaked in sweat and panicked. Her first instinct was to go to Lorelai. She reasoned it had something to do with Logan's confession earlier, like him, she had her worries that she would not live up to his expectations as a wife, or mother. However, she had voiced her fears before - this was bigger than that.

"I'm getting married, Mom" Rory said in a tiny voice, as if it had just dawned on her for the first time.

"I know, kid," Lorelai had tears in her eyes, 'I know. My baby's all grown up." She gave Rory a watery smile.

"I'm going to miss you, Mom, I'm going to miss us," Rory sighed, wiping tears from her eyes.

For others it might have been a weird thing to say, however, for them it was not. Not so long ago it had been the Gilmore Girls vs. the world. Their relationship had changed dramatically the last few years, with Rory going off on the campaign trail and with Lorelai marrying Luke.

They both knew the end of their reign was over in its current form; Rory marrying Logan was that last step, though both women knew that they would always share a unique mother/daughter relationship.

"Me too," Lorelai nodded.

"But it'll be okay, right? I mean, I'll be a Huntzburger on paper but a Gilmore at heart"

"It's who you are," Lorelai stated the obvious.

Rory and Lorelai sat in silence for a while, thinking about in what ways the marriage and child would change their lives.

"Don't worry so much, Rory. You'll be a great wife and a super mom. And, us, we won't change that much."

Rory smiled a watery smile, "Mom…"

"No," Lorelai motioned her to stop, "modesty is not supposed to be a Gilmore trait – _you've _been breaking that rule for 25 years", she paused and smiled at Rory, "you are Lorelai Gilmore 2.o, the new and improved version, if you will".

They shared a quiet laugh. Rory was feeling better after this midnight chat; she hadn't realized she was worried about her changing relationship with her mother.

"Do you know who's walking me down the aisle?" Rory asked suddenly.

"Aisle?" Lorelai raised an eyebrow, "Who said anything about an aisle?"

"What?" Rory was shocked – had Logan planned an aisle less wedding?

Lorelai caught the worried expression on her daughter's face, everything had just calmed down – she didn't want to reopen the water works.

"No, no, there is an aisle, definitely an aisle." Lorelai said, in her "Rainman" voice.

"Thanks, Ray" Rory shook her head and laughed at her mother. "Mom, seriously, do you know?"

Lorelai looked hard at her daughter; obviously, this situation was bothering her. "Yeah."

"So?" Rory pressed her mother for information.

"Who do you want it to be,"Lorelai said seriously, "I should warn you; your choices are Luke and Christopher by the way. None of the other boys wanted to….," she added as a lighthearted after thought.

"I don't know, Mom. I kind of liked Dad and Luke together…,"

"_Together?" _Lorelai laughed, "I never saw it coming," she cried theatrically. "My life is an Oprah special."

"Mom!"

"Okay, okay, jeez. Early mornings _really _don't agree with you," she shot her daughter a look.

"If you want your Dad and Christopher to walk you down the aisle together, we'll arrange that. I'll take care of it in the morning," she smiled widely. "Anything else?"

Rory shook her head.

"Well, then let's move back to your room – one of the ground rules to breakfast in bed, is actually being in your own bed. The bridesmaids will be devastated if they cannot find you," Lorelai exclaimed in her society voice.

* * *

"Rory," Stephanie sang.

Somewhere, faintly, far away, Rory thought she heard someone, probably Honor or Stephanie call her name. She also, slightly, smelled the scent of freshly brewed tea and croissants. Still, she really could not be bothered. Why couldn't they let her sleep? So, she rolled over, and pulled the covers up.

"Well, clearly, this isn't working," Paris, stated. "Let's sic Gigi, on her!" she suggested.

With that, Gigi, clad in a mini version of the wedding sweats, climbed on the bed and straddled Rory.

"Come on, sleepy head! It's time to get up…" Gigi clapped her hands excitedly.

"Why?" Rory groaned

Some of the girls laughed, in Rory's punch-drunk state she had forgotten that today was _the day_.

Gigi giggled and placed her hands on her sister's shoulders. "Ror-y! Today is the day I can wear the fancy dress!"

"What?" Rory yawned, slowly drifting back to the real world. She rubbed the sleep out of her eyes, and repositioned herself so she was sitting up, her back against the pillows, with Gigi still straddling her. After another long yawn, and a dozen blinks Rory finally focused on the room.

Lane, Lorelai, Sookie, Stephanie, Paris and Honor were all sitting on the bed, wearing their wedding sweats. In the corner a big whiteboard had, what Rory presumed to be a schedule, written out on it, she saw a large breakfast tray and clothes in garment bags hung up on a clothing rack. It came back to her quickly: today was the day of the wedding. _By 5.15 p.m. you'll be Mrs. Logan Huntzbuger._ Logan's words rung in her ears.

She let out an excited squeal and took the teacup Paris handed her. "I'm getting married!"

"And we are still happy about this, right?" Lorelai asked to make sure.

"Yes, absolutely!" Rory nodded.

"That's what I thought," Lorelai smiled, walking over to the whiteboard. "So, here's the wedding schedule Paris made for us." Lorelai studied the board carefully and read out: "8:00 a.m – wake Rory up – check. 8:15 explain wedding details…."

"Oh, fun!" Rory said elatedly, and walked over to the board, gave it a quick once over, turned back towards the group, "Bring on the details!"

"Well, so," Lorelai started, there was so much to tell. "You are going to get married in the castle, the ceremony will start at 4.00 p.m…."

"I made your wedding cake – chocolate fudge and marzipan – and the wedding dinner. It's _winter tapas_, but don't worry, I've included your favorites, too!" Sookie interjected.

"Oh, the hair and make-up will be here at one," Stephanie interrupted.

"I mixed the music," Lane added.

"And your color scheme it silver and midnight blue, it's totally winter wonderland " Honor said dreamingly.

Rory took in all the information, she looked at her girlfriends happy faces, glad that they all had some input in her special day.

"What about my dress?" Rory asked.

"Oh!" Honor exclaimed, "Your Mom made it – she made our dresses too. It is gorgeous. She's like Vera Wang," she gushed.

Lorelai shrugged, "What can I say; I taught VW all she knows."

The girls shared a laugh, and talked more about the wedding details. Paris glanced down at her watch, 9.30. "Time to get showered!" she commanded. The girls scurried off, though Lorelai had one more piece of business to attend to.

"G?" Lorelai kneeled down to look Gigi in the eyes. "You know where Logan's room is, right?"

Gigi nodded. "Well, I've got a little mission for you – are you up to that, soldier?"

The young girl giggled, her Aunt Lorelai was definitely goofy.

"Good," Lorelai fished a folded up piece of paper out of her sweat pants pocket. "Could you bring this over to Logan's room, and make sure your Dad or Uncle Luke read it?" She locked eyes with the girl, to make sure she knew the importance of the letter. Gigi caught the look, and saluted Lorelai, before running out of the room.

* * *

At 9.30, the men had been sitting around in the suite's living room, eating breakfast and watching cartoons.

A loud knocking startled them.

"Now, who could that be?" Chris wondered aloud.

"It can't be the girls," Josh answered.

"The decorators?" Luke suggested, but Logan shook his head, "Nah, they know what to do. Besides, they'd probably look for Lorelai if they had questions."

Finn got up, he wasn't one to mull over who could possibly be standing at the door; he'd much rather find out for himself.

He opened the door. "Well, hello, there, love-lite - all the craziness in a pint-sized package!" He picked up Gigi and placed her on his shoulders. Like all of the men, Finn had a soft spot for the young girl.

"What brings you here on this fine morning?"

"Finn!" the young girl squealed, dangling the letter in front of his eyes.

They re-entered the living area, as the men looked up, smiles creeping over their faces.

"Hey, sweetie, what's up?" Chris asked.

"Auntie Lorelai sent me on an important mission," Gigi stated seriously. The men let out a mixture of ooh's and aah's. They were slightly intrigued.

Finn let the little girl down off his shoulders, as Gigi continued explaining. "It's a letter for Daddy and Uncle Luke. It's about the wedding, I think."

Chris and Luke exchanged concerned glares as Gigi handed the letter to her Dad.

_Dear Chris & Luke, and all you other guys, too. _

_It seems that my motherly instinct was off, when we talked about this situation – Rory wants both of you to walk her down the aisle. I know, I know – it's not what we agreed on, but she has her heart set on it. She visited me last night, we talked, we bonded, she mentioned something about you two being together. It's a mental image I'm still trying to wash off my brain, though it might be permanent. Anyway, that's not the point._

_The point of this little note is to let you two know that you'll __**BOTH **__be walking Rory down the aisle. No complaints, misters. She means the world to the both of you. She wants this. It's her wedding day, for Pete's Sake – she deserves this. _

_If I find out you've fought, argued or in any other way acted pissed off about this change of plans (and I __**will**__ find out) this means one of you will be bunking with Paul Anka – the dog Paul Anka – for a very long time. And the other one's precious daughter will have a very "interesting" wardrobe gifted to her, by Auntie Lorelai. _

_We'll see you at four, looking glamorous as always. _

_All my love, _

_Lorelai_

_PS: If Logan's having pre-wedding nerves, tell him to have drink and relax. It'll all be fine. It snowed again last night. _

_PPS: Send G back a.s.a.p. – she needs to get her hair done! _

Chris handed the letter to Luke, so he could read it again; see it with his own eyes. The other men looked around in shock. Lorelai could really put the fear of God in anyone.

Josh broke the silence, "I guess I get why you thought Lorelai's approval was so important…," he laughed.

"I've tried to tell you, man," Logan smirked, "you definitely do not want to endure the wrath of any Gilmore Girl."

Luke had finished reading the note, very touched that Rory wanted _him_ to walk her down the aisle. "Okay," he stated simply, and extended his hand, for Chris to shake. Chris looked him dead in the eye. "Okay."

Christopher and Luke had mellowed out in the last couple of years. Chris finally accepted that Luke was very much a surrogate father to Rory. He had come to terms with the Luke and Lorelai relationship and even let Gigi visit her Aunt Lorelai when he and Gigi were in the country. At the same time, Luke found peace with Christopher and Lorelai's relationship. He accepted they had a past, but that; ultimately, he was the One.

"Good," Logan exhaled; glad to know that this little incident was fixed.

The men now looked at Gigi – she was happily eating a bowl of cereal, watching cartoons. They exchanged amused looks; they knew they had to get the girl back soon otherwise they would still have to endure the wrath of not one but two Gilmore Girls, plus that of their significant others.

"Hey Jean," Logan walked over, and kneeled down so he was eye level with Gigi. "Can you go on a special mission for me, too?"

She nodded eagerly; it definitely was a very special day.

The guys shot Logan quizzical looks – what did he have up his sleeve now?

He caught their looks as he stood up, "Lorelai and I were shopping in New York…"

"Where did you find the time?" Jackson was shocked.

Logan chuckled, "Anyway, we were at Tiffany's, picking out wedding bands and she saw this jewelry set that matched the bridesmaids' dresses. I offered to get it, but she thought it would be too much, considering…."

"What, you mean a castle in freaking England isn't enough?" Josh asked, fake anger in his voice.

"Well, it's their day, too, you know," Logan ran a hand through his hair, feeling slightly embarrassed at his huge display of generosity. "The girls can keep it, as a memento."

"A magnet is a memento,' Colin deadpanned.

"Look, guys, it's _our_ present to them, okay?"

The men mulled it over, and agreed. Logan got the basket, in it seven perfectly wrapped stacks of three blue Tiffany boxes each. Quickly, Logan scribbled a note and handed it to Gigi.

* * *

"I'm back!" Gigi happily ran into the living room, where the woman were sitting on the couches, waiting for Paris to coordinate the next move.

"Look what Logan gave me" Gigi shouted, holding up the white basket. "It's Tiffany's!" she explained, paused and asked, "Do we know a Tiffany?"

The girls laughed at Gigi's innocence, but they were also slightly shocked to find that there were little stacks of three tiffany boxes for each of them. "There's a note, too," Gigi handed Lane the note.

"_Good Morning Ladies,_

_We know you will all look glamorous this afternoon, though please used what's in the basket as the finishing touch. We thought it would be a nice memento….._

_Love from, _

_Logan, Finn, Colin, Josh, Jackson, Chris, Luke" _

They all sat silently, looking at their pyramid of Tiffany boxes. "Memento?" Lane questioned, "In _my_ house, a memento is a magnet - a key chain if you're lucky!" she said eyeing the packages. The girls shared a laugh.

"Well, I guess we should open them…" Sookie shrugged, undoing the signature white ribbon.

One by one the girls opened the jewelry boxes, the first box contained a beautiful platinum band ring with a full circle of bead-set diamonds and dark blue sapphires. The girls gasped – they knew it would match the bridesmaids dresses perfectly. Rory's noticed that her ring was on a platinum chain, so she could wear hers as a necklace, since she's be receiving a _very_ different kind of ring this afternoon. Gigi opened her ring-box to find a giant blue sapphire cocktail ring. She immediately slid it on her ring finger, and showed it off.

The next box revealed a beautiful pair of dangling white-gold, lapis-luzi earrings. The dark blue color of the lapis matched the sapphires perfectly. The final boxed held a gorgeous necklace, it was a long platinum chain with a drop pendent, of tiny diamonds and blue sapphires. The girls sat there, examining their new jewelry. It was really something. Rory was the one to break the silence, "So, I assume this matches the dresses?"

Lorelai nodded, and glanced up at the clock. "Oh, T-minus 3 hours!" With that, the girls jumped up and continuined the wedding preparations.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hello!**

**It's finally arrived: the wedding!  
I hope it lives up to your expectations - please let me know! I'm dying to know your thoughts about the whole wedding.  
Next chapter: the end of their stay in England (and a teensy weensy bit more of wedding celebrations - if you liked it), and the honeymoon. **

**Okay, I'm going to let you read, now! **

**Enjoy it!  
Love,  
GilmoreGirl19**

**Disclaimer: don't own it**

* * *

Paris poked her head through the door, "**NO**, we aren't ready, five more minutes, Colin, we need five more minutes!" She shut the heavy wooden door with a loud slam, effectively sending a defeated Colin back to the men.

They had been ready for hours. All they needed to do was shower, shave, and put on their navy blue suits. They had eaten lunch, examined the dining room, played a round of poker and watched the decorators put the finishing touches on the elegant room, where the wedding was set to take place.

It was the best location in the Castle. It was a mid-sized square room, with dark hardwood floors and ceiling to floor windows, overlooking the grand snow covered garden.

Staying true to the winter wonderland theme, the original burgundy window drapes were replaced by midnight blue and silver ones. They fit perfectly with the slate grey thick castle walls.

A path of silver and dark blue candles lined the aisle stretching from the heavy French doors up to the altar, where seven large chairs, covered in custom made silver and midnight blue slipcovers were set up in a half circle, creating a very intimate setting.

Two large glass vases filled with willow branches covered in white lights stood on either side of the alter and large silvery snowflakes hung from the ceiling.

Flower arrangements added an extra touch of elegance in the room. Two of them hang on either side of the French doors, containing dark blue open roses with soft ivory colored rosebuds.

The room looked so perfect, so magical. The white lights, the shimmery silver, the candles, the dramatic dark blue and the snow added to the mix. Logan looked around pleased – he hoped Rory would like it. He was fiddling with his corsage – a single dark blue rose with one ivory rosebud finished off with a rose leaf – when Colin entered the well-decorated room.

"They need five more minutes," he said deflated, running his hand through his hair. His patience was running out.

Logan glanced at his watch, 3.55 p.m. The needed to get a move on - he wanted to take some wedding pictures in the snow, but in order to do so they needed daylight. He sighed; it was out of his hands.

"Ladies!" Paris shouted, "Five more minutes, five more minutes!'

"Okay, okay, I'm almost ready!" Rory shouted nervously, fiddling with her jewelry. She was wearing just the lapis dangling earrings; her dress didn't need a necklace, and her ring finger needed to remain bare.

"Rory, you look amazing!" Lane gushed, entering the room with Gigi in tow.

It was true; Lorelai really had outdone herself. Rory's wedding dress was simple and very elegant. Lorelai created a strapless floor length gown, with a sweetheart neckline and a full skirt. The white satiny fabric had a platinum shine to it, the tiny sapphire blue embroidery, the sapphire blue satin sash just placed halfway between the navel, and bust matched the winter wonderland theme perfectly.

Rory's shiny brown hair was done up in a high bun atop her head encircled by a tiny diamond and sapphire headband, similar to the bridesmaids rings, attached was a floor length sheer veil. Her make-up was perfect, very natural; just some mascara, light eye shadow and rose colored lip-gloss. Now, all Rory needed was her bridesmaids, and bouquet and she could walk down the aisle.

"Aw, Mom really went crazy, it's so perfect" Rory, said elated and shot Lane and Gigi a big grin, "You guys look fantastic, too."

Gigi was wearing the special flower girl dress. It was a floor length, boat neck grown made from the same satiny, shiny material as the wedding gown. Gigi had a blue sash tied halfway her torso. Her blond curls were blown out, her bangs held back by a tiny diamond and sapphire encrusted headband. In her hand, she held a tiny woven silver spray painted wicker basket, filled with felt snowflakes and midnight blue rose peddles.

Lane, just like the other bridesmaids, was wearing a shimmery midnight blue thin spaghetti strapped dress that hit mid-calf. Instead of a blue sash, this dress had a fancy silver one that matched the silver high-heeled shoes they would be wearing. Lane's straight black hair was tied is a loose sideways bun, a small blue flower strategically placed accentuating the hairstyle.

"Come on, Stephanie, your hair is fine!" Paris shouted, dragging her away from the mirror and towards the door, "you need your butt a silver chair next to Sookie, Josh and Jackson, NOW!"

"I don't see Sookie," Stephanie retorted.

"Ah!" Paris yelped in frustration, "Where is _she?_"

Sookie, in full bridal-wear, was screaming into her cell phone, "Look all you need to do is follow the instructions, Rudolph – it's all there," Sookie paused, "What do you mean, illegible? It's all in there – what kind of chef are _you?_"

The girls shot each other amused looks; Sookie had produced a 100-page instruction manual for dinner. Sookie had done all the cooking, but she needed the hired chef to heat up all the courses.

Paris huffed over to Sookie, grabbed the cell out of Sookie's hand, "Rudolph? Hi, I don't know if you realize this; but we are kind of in the middle of a wedding…" Paris said surprisingly sweet, but continued viscously, "SO GET OVER IT – READ THE MANUAL!" And with that she clicked the phone shut, tossed it on the nearby dresser and ushered Sookie and Stephanie out the door.

"Now," she said consulting the giant whiteboard, "Josh, Jackson, Sookie, Stephanie and I'll will be sitting down – I'm going to go over there in a minute and I'll send Colin, Christopher and Luke over here, okay?" Paris glared at the remaining girls, making sure they understood.

"When they get here, you need to be standing in the line-up…"

"Wait, line-up?" Lorelai interjected confused

"Focus, Lorelai, that's Gigi, Colin and Lane, Honor, you and finally Rory and the Dad's," Paris spat – she seriously needed to calm down; it was supposed to be a fun occasion, not a stressful one.

"What about Finn?" Rory questioned.

"Surprise," Paris replied flaty, staring at her watch and heading out the door. "The boys will be here in three minutes – make sure you are ready!"

"Yes, the line-up – who could forget?" Lorelai rolled her eyes, but Paris had already left.

"Oh, duh!" Lorelai hit her head with her hand, adding emphasis. "I almost forgot about your something old, new, borrowed and blue."

Lorelai pointed at Rory's earrings, "That's your new!" She pulled a light blue lacy garter out of one of the many bags and tossed it to Rory, "That's your blue,"

Lane pulled a tiny note out of her jewelry box, and handed it to Rory. "It's your old." Rory opened the note and saw that it was a note she had passed to Lane in third grade.

_Lane, _

_What's on your sandwich? I got ham – again. Want to trade? Want to play at my house later?_

_I love you forever, _

_Rory_

Rory pulled Lane into a loving hug and whispered thank-you. She folded up the note, and shoved it in her strapless bra. The rule clearly stated that all old, new, barrowed and blue items needed to be "worn."

"And, I've got the borrowed…." Honor opened a tiny box, revealing a gorgeous diamond tennis bracelet. "I wore it on my wedding day, I consider it my lucky charm…." Honor was getting choked up, as was Rory.

"Mom," Rory grabbed her Mom's hand and squeezed it gently, and Lorelai looked in her daughters eyes. "Thank-you so much; it's all so wonderful, I don't even know what to say. This dress, it's amazing…" small tears welled up in both Gilmore Girls eyes. They both looked up at the ceiling, trying to stop the tears.

For once, Lorelai was a loss for words, so mother and daughter just stayed there looking up at the ceiling. Honor, Lane and Gigi joined them, all trying to blink back tears.

* * *

Paris entered the wedding room in a huff, and barked, "Colin, Luke, Christopher – they are waiting for you." She looked up and found Finn standing at the altar, looking disheveled. His tie was loose, his vest unbuttoned and his corsage pinned on the wrong side of his jacket.

"Finn!" she exasperated. "What the hell?"

The men snickered, Lorelai was nothing compared to the wrath of Paris.

"Stop!" Paris commanded as she saw Colin, Luke and Christopher trying to sneak out of the room. "Do you all look like you got dressed in the dark?" She snapped her fingers and the men quickly formed a line in front of her; like soldiers being inspected by their commanding officer.

Officer Geller inspected her troops thoroughly. The men were wearing dark blue suits, with a crisp white dress shirt, silver vest and matching silver/blue striped tie. Corsages and shiny black shoes completed the look. Paris fixed Finn's tie, re-buttoned his vest and re-pined his corsage. She fixed Luke's tie, re-tied Christopher's shoes, pinned Colin's corsage slightly higher, she picked some lint off Jackson and Josh's respective shoulders.

Finally, she landed at Logan and glared at him. He looked like America's Next Male Model, the dark blue color matched his complexion and the soft shimmer of the silver vest enhanced the twinkle in his eye. Before Paris got too sentimental about the whole wedding, she inhaled sharply. "Okay. Ship out, men – we've got a wedding to get on with!"

* * *

Colin, Luke, and Christopher entered the "prep room" to find Rory, Lorelai, Gigi, Lane and Honor staring at the ceiling.

Luke coughed, letting them know they had arrived. "What up with the ceiling?" Colin asked puzzled.

"We. Cannot. Cry." Honor said, trying not to burst out in tears.

"Oh" The main shot each other 'whatever' glances and coaxed the woman into their "line-up" positions.

"According to the board and the big clock," Luke looked behind his shoulder, " it's show time. Everyone got their flowers?"

The girls grabbed their flowers. Lorelai, Lane and Honor each held one blue and one ivory rose, tied together with a satin blue ribbon. Rory had a full round bouquet of the same blue and ivory roses.

The bridal party shuffled out of the room, and stopped in the hallway, in front of the grand French doors. As if on cue, music welled up and Gigi shuffled down the short, romantically lit aisle, smiling the whole way. Then, Colin and Lane linked arms and made their way down the same path. Colin took his place next to Logan – who was waiting patiently, nervously, waiting for his bride – and Lane took her place, on the other side of the altar. Honor and Lorelai linked arms and walked down the aisle, eyes damp with tears, breaking apart at the end, Honor taking her place next to Colin, and Lorelai taking her place next to.

"Ready kiddo?" Christopher glanced down at Rory, kissed the top of her head and said, "I love you." Rory touched her Dad's arm lightly, "me too."

She meant it, she was truly happy that, even though their relationship was messed up at times he was still her Dad and still willing to walk her down the aisle.

"Luke," Rory glanced up at him, "Thank-you," she sniffled, the dreaded tears threatening to well up again. Luke just nodded, and kissed the top of her head lightly.

The music switched to the traditional wedding march. The time had finally come, so Rory took a deep breath, linked arms with Christopher and Luke and slowly walked down the aisle. It seemed as if the world had stopped, here she was in her handmade gown surrounded by her closest family and friends, walking down a candlelit aisle, in a winter wonderland decorated room a mere fifteen steps away from her husband to be. She quickly glanced out the window – it was snowing lightly and the trees were covered in white lights, it really looked like a fairy tale – before locking eyes with Logan.

At the end of the aisle Luke kissed her cheek, shook Logan's hand and sat down in one of the empty silver chairs next to Sookie. Christopher followed suit and pulled Gigi up on his lap.

"Hi," Rory said softly, staring at Logan's eyes.

"Hi," Logan breathed back.

"And hello there," Finn boomed.

"Finn!" Rory let out a little yelp; she hadn't even noticed him. She pointed her bouquet towards him, and asked, "You are marrying us? Is that legal?" She asked incredulously. Logan let out a loud laugh, just like the rest and pulled her into a quick embrace. She felt him nod, and she pulled back. "Okay, sorry, continue…," she blushed.

"So," Finn cleared his throat loudly, "As I was _saying_," he mock-frowned at Rory, but quickly shot her a quick smile, "we are gathered here today in this Mid-Evil Castle in snowy England to marry two of our closest friends; Rory and Logan,"

Finn glanced down at his notes, "It really is an amazing little love story, these two have. And I should know; I spent many a night listening to Logan's drunken rambling that he was not the commitment type…"

Finn looked at Rory, "So sorry you had to find out like this, love," Logan and Rory shared an identical smirk – the afraid of commitment times were long gone,

"And, this one here," he pointed at Rory, "really didn't even like our main-man in the beginning – I believe the term "butt-face-miscreant" was coined by this lovely lady. Again, I know, I spent many a drunken night listening to Logan go on and on about why he most certainly was not a miscreant of any sort." Finn rolled his eyes and a small wave of laughter rolled through the room.

"But," Finn sighed and raised his finger, as if he was proving a point, "Those times are long gone. These two are soul mates, they are what love is supposed to be like," he sighed and stared straight ahead, "Sorry that was a bit over the top…."

He smiled, and continued. "My point is, these two love each other and have been through incredibly good times and exceptionally bad times. They stand here today, before us, as a couple, willing to commit to each other is the biggest way possible. Today we are gathered to celebrate the good times, and celebrate this relationship; trusting that they will live through the bad times, as they may come, enjoy what life has in store for them, love and care for each other and live happily ever after." Finn paused, all the women had tears in their eyes.

"Ladies," Finn sighed, "It's not crying time…yet," He swallowed hard, hoping to get rid of his own choked up feeling. "It is my understanding that Rory and Logan both have prepared vows, so, Logan, mate, if you'd like to start…" He looked at Logan and smiled.

Logan cleared his throat, grabbed Rory's hands and started.

"Rory, my Ace. It is undeniable how brilliant you are. I can't even begin to explain how much I need you in my life."

Tears had already starting falling from Rory's eyes. He brushed them away lightly.

"When you first met me, I was a mess, I didn't want to admit that back then, but I was. You, you were so patient with me, you risked your heart for me."

He sighed, really wanting to get his point across, "You loved me, for me. You jumped, and in that moment, I knew I'd love you forever. In all the craziness we've been through, I knew I could count on you. You truly are my better half." He smiled brightly, took a deep breath, and recited the last part of his vows.

"So, I Logan Lewis, stand here before you, our family and friends, in this beautiful English Castle on a cold winters' eve, taking you, Lorelai Leigh Gilmore, to be my friend, my love, the mother of my children, and my wife. I will be yours in times of plenty and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and most of all, to stay with you, for all eternity. I love you, Ace."

There was not a dry eye in the house. Finn dramatically pulled a silver handkerchief from his suit pocket and blew his nose obnoxiously. Rory laughed, Finn would always be Finn – and she wouldn't have it any other way. After regaining his composure, Finn pointed at Rory. "Your turn, Love."

Rory lightly wiped a tear from her eye, looked around the room at all her family and friends, squeezed Logan's hand and started on her vows.

"Logan, What I like about you is that you know how to dance," she paused to gauge his reaction. Like she expected, he smirked – it was one of "their" songs, after all. She smirked back, and continued.

"You know how to put a smile on my face, you know how to comfort me when I'm sad, you know my moods, you know my humor, you know what makes me laugh, you know how to push my buttons."

She was going too fast, she didn't want to plow through this – but if she stopped, she might cry. She inhaled, trying to pace herself. Logan squeezed her hand, encouraging her to continue.

"You know I like my morning pop-tart raw, and you know I like vanilla bubble bath. You know my crazy family and friends. Logan, you know me. The whole me, and you love me, quite simply, for me.

I love you with all my heart, and cannot imagine my life without you, your smirk, your quick thinking brain, our bits, and your cooking skills."

She paused, and quickly changed the last part of her vows to mimic Logan's. She smiled widely.

"So, I, Lorelai Leigh, stand here before you, our family and friends, in this beautiful English Castle, on a cold winters' eve, taking you, Logan Lewis Huntzburger, to be my friend, my love, the father of my children, and my husband. I will be yours in times of plenty, and in times of want, in times of sickness and in times of health, in times of joy and in times of sorrow, in times of failure and in times of triumph. I promise to cherish and respect you, to care and protect you, to comfort and encourage you, and most of all, to stay with you for all eternity. I love you, so much, Logan."

The fell into a loving embrace; taking in each other's words, both being insanely happy.

Finn blew his nose again, and shuffled through his papers. "Ah, yes! The rings!" he exclaimed.

"Rings?" Rory's eyes grew wide – how could the ring have slipped her mind. "I, uh," she stumbled, her cheeks quickly turning bright red. Logan smirked, since he knew Lorelai had the wedding bands.

"Ahem," Lorelai coughed, "Psst, kid, I've got the rings," she said using her "dodgy used-car salesman" voice.

Rory grinned, and leaned over to take the rose-gold wedding band from her mother. "Okay," she brushed her forehead lightly, "I'm sorry. Continue."

"So," Finn sighed dramatically, again causing laughter to fill the room. "We ready?" He quickly looked at Rory and Logan and back to Rory. The nodded and Finn inhaled deeply.

"Logan, do you take Lorelai Leigh to be your lawfully wedded wife, from this day forward to have and hold, for better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish as long as you both shall live?"

"I do" Logan stated seriously, though Rory saw the love in his eyes, as he gently slid a rose gold diamond encrusted wedding band around her ring finger. She looked down at it and smiled.

"Rory," Finn cleared his throat, "do you take Logan Lewis to be your lawfully wedded wife, from this day forward to have and hold, for better or for worse, for richer for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish as long as you both shall live?"

Rory nodded eagerly. Finn chucked, "I'm going to need an actual sentence, Love."

Rory chuckled, "I do, I definitely do" And she slid Logan's matching wedding band around his ring finger.

"Then," Finn inhaled deeply "by the power invested in me by the great state of Connecticut, I know pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Logan Huntzburger." He smiled brightly, pulling out the moment they'd all been waiting for just a moment longer. "You may kiss the bride."

With that, Logan leaned in and kissed Rory, long and passionately, savoring their first kiss as a married couple.


	18. Chapter 18

**Hi Guys,  
****I am so sorry it took a little while to update. I had a little school drama. I tanked my Spanish Oral Exam – it was a lot of awkward silences, long pauses, and lot's of ¡Yo no sé!  
****Who knew that you could **_**fail**_** an oral? What happened to the pity-pass?  
****Anyway, I took some time to wallow and prepare for the re-sit and this time around, I passed. Yay for me!  
****  
I also wanted to apologize for my crappy grammar last chapter. I don't think a lot of you noticed (you can go back and check, it's in there.) but to those that did: thank-you!! Keeps me sharp ;)  
****BIG BIG thanks to everyone that reviewed and put this story on their alert lists. Twenty reviews on the last chapter. Very, very cool! Can you do it again?**

**Okay, so, this chapter is sort of wrapping up the wedding and the honeymoon. Honestly, I wanted to skip the honeymoon, since I had the wedding and the lovely-dovey stuff in detail. It's a lot of fun to write, but I think it's time to bring some drama back in to the mix.  
****On the other hand, I know you all were looking forward to the honeymoon ad that you all love that Logan/Rory Fluff (who doesn't? So, I decided it would work better for the flow of this story to have a nice wrap up chapter and lots and lots of fluff, especially since there might not be a lot of fluff in the near future. You are warned, this chapter might come off as a little filler-ish. **

**Hope you enjoy it – let me know!!**

**Love, **

**GilmoreGirl19**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls, the Atlantis Resort, a yacht, a jet or Mary Poppins. **

* * *

The newlyweds finally pulled apart from their first kiss as a married couple, much to the relief of their guests. It's not that they didn't love Rory and Logan – but there is such a thing as _too much_ PDA.

"So," Rory drawled, hoping to get Logan to reveal the rest of the surprise wedding. She knew that they wouldn't be flying home tonight, and her _husband_ wasn't the type of guy to get married and call it a day. She looked at him, and bit her bottom lip in anticipation.

"What?" Logan asked, obviously knowing what his _wife_ was playing at.

"Uh," Rory started hesitantly, suddenly worried that this was indeed the end of the wedding festivities line. She got her bachelorette weekend in London, her castle wedding. It was more than some people got in a lifetime.

"Nothing, I just, uh, was wondering what we'd be doing for the rest of the evening…," she tried to sound casual.

"What?" He asked again, this time his tone was laced with mock shock. Rory's face fell; maybe this _was_ really the end of the line.

Logan instantly noticed her changed expression and smirked; pulling her leg would never get boring. He pulled her into to a hug and called Paris.

"Yes, chief?" Paris replied, with a light trace of sarcasm in her tone.

"What's that schedule of yours say?" He asked, pulling away from Rory.

Paris glanced down at her clipboard. "Pictures in the snow."

"See, Ace," Logan glanced at her, "I've got it covered."

"So mean!" She said as she rolled her eyes and wacked his arm playfully.

Logan had arranged to have a professional photographer take wedding pictures, and take pictures they did. They must have taken five-hundred pictures – you can make a lot of crazy combinations with fifteen different people.

After about the fiftieth picture of Logan and Rory, Sookie screamed. "It's almost six o'clock!"

Rory figured the screaming meant it was a food related issue, and she hoped it was since she had only eaten a scone at breakfast. It was definitely out of character; but the wedding nerves had taken a toll on her appetite. However, now that the vows had been said and the rings had been placed, the new Mrs. Huntzburger felt like she could eat a horse.

She responded to Sookie's urgent scream by grabbing Logan's hand and walking towards the castle, in a slightly faster pace than usual – she never ran and even if she did, she wouldn't be able to since she was wearing heels and it was snowy.

"This better be food related," Rory warned lightly as Logan followed Rory inside. The rest of the wedding party followed suit.

* * *

The ballroom was transformed into an elegant dining hall. A large rectangular mahogany table was set horizontally in the center of the room. The decorations were still the same, though now there were more glass vases with willow branches and white lights. The sun was starting to set, so the dusk added an extra magical dimension to the room.

"Wow," Rory took in the room's elegance once again, and squeezed Logan's hand lightly. "It's amazing!"

Once everyone was settled around the table, nipping their non-alcoholic eggnog Sookie cleared her throat in a very important manner.

"So, as you all know," she began, "Logan and Lorelai asked me to create a winter-wonderland menu. I thought long and hard and then it hit me – FISH! They are always displayed on ice, and what's more winter-wonder land than ice…."

Rory shot Logan a disgusted look, she _hated_ fish, and Lorelai didn't like fish. Why would Sookie have a fish menu?

"But, I decided against that….."

A sigh of relief went round the table – apparently, there were not a lot of fish lovers.

"Since I was watching the Travel Channel, and you know that blond woman with the teeth and that voice?" Sookie questioned, making a face – trying to imitate 'the blond woman with the teeth and the voice'

"SOOK!" Finn exclaimed – he hated waiting and he was starving. "Just get to the point; I'm sure it'll be the best food that's touched my lips. That blond bird has nothing on you, with her teeth and voice." Finn copied Sookie's previous imitation.

Sookie giggled, "Anyway, _she_ was in Spain, eating _tapas_ and then I thought – duh – winter tapas!"

A round of ooh's and aah's went round the table, Sookie smiled, glad that her wedding menu was met by approval. "So, without further ado – bring out the tapas!" She spread her arms theatrically, and as if on cue, six servers came through the French doors each carrying a tray of scrumptious snacks.

Sookie's cooking was nothing short of a masterpiece. There were tiny shot glasses filled with pumpkin soup, tiny turkey medallions served in miniature gravy bowls, little portions of green bean casserole, baby-biscuits and miniature stuffing balls.

All of Rory's favorite winter staples, however, Sookie had also thought about Rory's favorite "normal" foods and had a spread of mini-pizza's, burgers and tiny portions of French Fries. Since she knew that Logan had an enormous sweet tooth, she also had made miniature sticky maple pecan tars and marzipan snowflakes and pralines.

The group sat eating, drinking and laughing for a good four hours. They all were having such a good time; talking about the wedding, the very cute couple, the time they spent in London and a whole range of different topics were discussed. Every fifteen minutes or so, one of the waiters would appear and clear an empty tray of food and replace it with a fresh one. After a while, the food stopped coming – it was almost time for cake.

"So," Rory said as she leaned in closer to Finn, "You are one hundred percent sure that my marriage to Logan is legal?" She glared at the Australian seriously. He burst out laughing. "Love, why can't you ever believe me?"

She glanced past Finn, and made eye contact with Colin, who was sitting next to Finn.

"Colin?"

"Rory, "His tone was reassuring, "My Dad's a lawyer, you know, I had it checked out. It's legal – you will remain Mrs. Huntzburger for the rest of your life…." He said that last part in a mocking deep doom and gloom kind of voice.

Rory smiled, _she _thought being Mrs. Logan Huntzburger for the rest of her life wasn't daunting at all.

The large French doors opened again, this time the server was pushing a large silver cart that had a three-tiered cake on it.

Lorelai gasped, as she was the first to take notice of the wedding cake. Fourteen heads turned simultaneously and fourteen jaws hit the floor. The cake really was a piece of work. It was a three-tiered traditional looking wedding cake. It looked like it had been dipped in light silver lacquer; each tier was decorated with midnight blue round "ornaments". Instead of the traditional bride and groom cake topper, Sookie had placed an adorable snow-groom and snow-bride. The snow-couple was facing each other, giving each other an "Eskimo-kiss".

Sookie took pride in the fact that she had created a jaw-dropping, show stopping cake. "It's Chocolate-Raspberry," she stated simply, and handed Logan and Rory the knife so they could cut the cake.

Lorelai stood up, champagne glass in hand, "We've done too many speeches – but to the bride and groom!" she shouted happily and the rest of the party joined, "To the bride and groom!"

"I'm stuffed," Rory exaggerated as she and Logan walked through a long hallway in Lumley Castle.

"Four pieces of cake really was the limit," she admitted aloud, regretting that fifth "sliver" of cake she had. Logan just laughed as he draped his arm around her shoulder.

* * *

"I'm so excited I can finally see your room, as much as I like Lane, I really prefer sleeping next to you…" Rory spoke faster than normal. Clearly, she was on a sugar rush.

Logan smirked. "Good to hear, but," He kissed the top of her head lightly, lowered his head, to whisper in her ear. "Who says we are going to my room?"

Rory shot him a confused look – where else were they going to stay? Suddenly, they stopped walking and Logan unlocked the door, turned the knob to open it slightly. Of course, Logan had arranged a bridal suite.

He turned to her, smiling brightly, and scooped her up. She chuckled and threw her arms around his neck.

"I know it's cheesy," he admitted, "but I figured what the heck…."

She laughed hysterically as he carried her to their bridal suite and gently placed her on the bed. He kissed her lightly, but it quickly turned into a deep passionate one. Sure, Finn may have said that 65 percent of couples did not consummate on their wedding night – but the newlywed Huntzburgers certainly did not belong to that group.

The next morning Logan awoke to find Rory sitting upright in bed, drinking a large cup of tea and skimming the Daily Mail.

"Good morning, sleepy head." She sure sounded chipper this morning.

"Now, is that a way to great your husband?" he asked playfully. She nodded, smiled brightly and hopped out of bed to get him a cup of tea from the tray the waiting staff had delivered. He rolled over, before finally scooting up and sitting erect, just like Rory.

"So, why are you up so early?" he asked, taking his teacup from his wife.

She inhaled sharply. She knew this had to be their last day in England. This afternoon they would probably fly out, and by tomorrow morning they'd be back home in NYC, back in the real world and not in her happy wedding bubble.

"Ah," she waved her hand, trying to make light of the situation. "I just wanted to get up early to enjoy our last day of vacation."

"Last day?"

She shot him a baffled look. "You said we had three nights here, those nights are up…," she said in a soft voice, and leaned closer to Logan. Oh, this was boarding on cliché – will she ever learn?

"Ace," he looked at her, mock-sternly. "Haven't you ever heard of the honeymoon? Or, did you forget you insisted on seeing the sun during our vacation? And, I know you packed your bikini."

"Logan!" She starting placing random kisses over his face, "You"- kiss – "are"- "kiss" – "insane" – kiss.

"Insanely sexy, handsome and romantic, right?" he fished for an additional compliment, but she didn't bite.

"Nope, just insane"

They laughed together, and lay in bed, enjoying each other's company.

"So, when do we leave?" she asked, breaking the comfortable silence.

"Plane leaves at four."

Rory nodded, jumped out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

"Uh?" Logan asked, his eyes following Rory's bathrobe clad body.

"Logan!" she gesticulated. "I have to start packing!" He cocked his head to the side, realizing she had a point. He also got up and headed towards the bathroom. Surely, showering together would save some time….

* * *

That afternoon, 14 people and 42 bags of luggage stood in Lumley Castle's driveway. It was a bittersweet departure. They had had an amazing time - the wedding, the location and the company was amazing, but now it was time to move on.

"Goodbye glamorous castle," Honor waved and got in the car, followed by Josh.

"Yeah, bye" Paris said unenthusiastically, cell phone clenched in her left-hand, she slid in.

"Oh, I'll miss you Rudolph!" Sookie said with a trace of mock bitterness in her voice. She and Rudolph the temp-chef really had clashed, so she really would not miss him.

"I know, honey," Jackson coaxed his wife in the car.

"Goodnight, Durham!' Lane used her rock-star voice.

"It was lovely!" Stephanie copied Lane's tone and the girls followed the others.

Colin didn't need to "say" anything to the castle, so he just slid right in after Stephanie.

"Bye! I'll miss you" Gigi waved frantically, and hopped in, followed by Chris and Finn.

"It was supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!" Lorelai sang in a terrible British accent, and pulled an embarrassed Luke in the car.

"After you," Logan gestured for Rory to get in, though she still needed to say her goodbye.

She looked up at the impressive castle. "I'll miss you! It was better than excellent."

"What's better than excellent?" she looked over her shoulder, directing her question to a waiting Logan.

"Outstanding?" he offered, and in the background she heard her mother scream supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.

She smiled. "Yes, it was outstandingly supercalifragilisticexpialidocious! "

She turned back towards Logan, and kissed him on the cheek. "Maybe we can come back for our anniversary?"

He nodded, and kissed her back – on the lips and then they quickly made their way in to the car.

* * *

"So, where are we going, exactly?" Rory questioned, buckling up next to Logan in the private-jet.

"Bahamas', Love" Finn said, fixing himself a nerve settling drink before departure.

Lane caught the look on her friends face – again it was one of confusion. Rory had loved the last two days since she had pretty much been in the loop again, now with this honeymoon-thing it was like she was back at square one.

"Now, Rory," Lane laughed, "I know what you are thinking. What kind of a honeymoon has 12-wheels-on-the-wagen, but it'll be like we're not there."

"Oh, it's not that – "Rory quickly tired to smooth over any awkward situation that might come of this.

"Hon," Lorelai interjected. "It's your honeymoon. It's a husband and wife thing – Logan gets that- don't worry," Lorelai, grinned. She understood why Logan liked to surprise Rory – it was a lot of fun!

A dull sounding "oh" was all Rory could muster. She really didn't understand how exactly everyone could come along on her honeymoon, and that it would still seem like it was only her and Logan.

Logan's heartfelt laugh interrupted her thoughts. "Ace, if you keep your face scrunched up like that, it might freeze."

She shot him a small smile, "Better?"

"Should I just tell you the plans?"

"Yes!" The other men rolled their eyes, slightly frustrated by all the secretiveness.

Logan glared at the men, feeling betrayed by his own, but continued to reveal the surprise.

"Well, Ace,"

He fished his wallet out of his carry-on bag, and dug around for a tiny picture.

"Yes?" She widened her eyes in anticipation.

He handed her the picture – it was a tiny map of the Bahamas', with a red line, marking out a path.

"This looks like a cruise itinerary," she stated matter-of-factly.

Logan smirked and nodded.

"Daddy, can we see the sting rays at Atlantis?" Gigi asked out of the blue.

Finally, Rory had her "a-ha" moment of clarity. She knew that the Atlantis was a fancy resort on the Bahamas' – Logan had mentioned it in passing, and Rory had caught an episode about it on the Travel Channel.

"So," she said, resting her head on Logan's shoulder. "We'll be cruising' it up – and they'll be …"

"Baking away in the sun?" Honor offered, giggling.

Logan nodded again, and with that tiny mystery solved, the plane took off.

* * *

Rory and Logan were sitting out on deck, each reading a novel and sipping iced teas. It was the third day of their honeymoon cruise, though it seemed like they had only just left the port of Nassau. It was just them on the boat and they spent their days sailing around the warm waters of the Bahamas occasionally docking to snorkel, swim with dolphins or venture on to one of the islands to check out the local scene. All perception of time was lost; it can get like that when it is just you and the ocean.

Rory stretched out her arm, to grab Logan's hand.

"Thank-you," she said sincerely.

"For?" Logan questioned absentmindedly – he was really into his novel.

"This, the honeymoon, England, getting me off work, marrying me – _everything" _she exhaled, "it all was so great…"

Logan got up from his lounge chair and let himself drop onto Rory's.

"Hey," he placed a gentle kiss on her lips, "you don't have to thank me. I should thank _you_. You agreed to marry me…." He smirked. He continued seriously, "I wanted us to have a happy wedding – without all the stress of home, I know it's going to be hell for you when we get back, I just wanted you to have a nice long relaxing break before everything gets crazy."

"I know," Rory sighed, "I wish we could stay on this boat forever."

"Me too, Ace, me too."

The couple's honeymoon lasted another two days that were spent lounging around, reading, watching movies and talking. Serious talks, about the future of _it_, and if perhaps moving was a good idea, but also talks about less important things, like Worlds' Ugliest Dog and why some people are toilet paper "folders" or "wadders."

All in all, the vacation went by way to fast and all to soon Rory and Logan found themselves in the Atlantis Dining Room, joining the gang for one last dinner. It was fun, they were swapping vacation stories. It turned out that Lorelai, Chris, Luke, Gigi, Finn, Colin, Stephanie, Paris, Lane, Honor, Josh, Sookie and Jackson had an excellent time at the Atlantis Resort.

Excessive amounts of alcohol had led to the men to do a now infamous performance of the classic Spicegirls-hit "Wannabe" on karaoke night, followed by Sookie, Lane and Lorelai's rendition of "It's raining men'.

Unsurprisingly Paris had won first-prize in poolside trivia, and Gigi had become little miss popular in the kids club and now had her own following of "fans."

"Oh!" Stephanie exclaimed, "We have a present for you guys! Babe, can you get it?" she asked Colin, who looked slightly uncomfortable.

"Babe?" Rory narrowed her eyes and slowly pointed at Colin, and then at Stephanie drawing a line between the two, whom just "coincidentally" happened to be sitting next to each other.

Stephanie shot her friend and innocent look, but Rory was not fooled. "You guys are back together!" she squealed with excitement. The "new" couple blushed.

"Finally caved, man?" Logan asked, jokingly.

"Your one to talk, Huntz," Colin scoffed playfully.

"So?" Rory pressed for more details.

"Second day here – they've been inseparable ever since. Good thing Julio tried to woo Steph, otherwise Colin here would have _never_ stepped up and defend what is rightfully his…" Finn answered – he was such a gossip, and his little recap of the events caused an outburst of laughter. Picturing Colin "Sweater Vest" McCrea threaten some buff, wife-beater wearing Julio was pretty funny.

"Well, I'm happy for you two," Logan said, finally recovering from his laughing fit.

"Anyway," Colin cleared his throat. "Your present," he said as he handed Logan a big brown bag.

Logan pulled out a large scrapbook.

"It documents the whole wedding," Paris stated. "Start to finish, from Lorelai's sketches of the dresses, to Logan's emails, Castle and Hotel pamphlets, sample menu's, cake flavors, and a bunch of pictures."

Rory and Logan flipped through it breathlessly – it was a beautiful book and Paris was right, it documented everything, down to the color of lip-gloss Rory wore on the wedding day.

"There's also a DVD, just the wedding and the vows," Lorelai handed over a small CD-case.

"But I didn't hire a film-guy,"

"I know, but we had camera's installed since we knew you'd guys would want to see the wedding, you know, later"

Lorelai laughed at Logan's expression. Rory noticed it, too.

"Oh, look, ladies and gentlemen," she announced to the "crowd", "It seems that Mr.Huntzburger has just received a taste of his own medicine."

Again, this earned an outburst of laughter from the table. After a leisurely meal, it was really time to go, time to fly back to NYC and face the real world.

* * *

The plane ride home was quiet. Almost everyone was asleep. Colin and Stephanie were curled up in each other's arms as well as Sookie and Jackson, and Honor and Josh. Gigi was sleeping on Finn's lap, and Finn was resting his head on Christopher's shoulder. Luke was snoring, Paris was mumbling in her sleep about something and Lane was listening to her I-pod, though her eyes were closed. Logan had been reading, but was now fast asleep. Only Lorelai and Rory were awake.

"Hey kid, got you some soda," Lorelai handed her daughter the drink.

"So, how does it feel to be Mrs. Huntzburger?"

Rory smiled, she'd never get tired of hearing that. "Good. Really good."

"Good." Lorelai smiled, and turned to walk back over to her seat.

"Mom" Rory's voice sounded concerned.

"What?"

She sighed heavily. "I _really_ don't want to tell Grandma and Grandpa…"

Lorelai let out a tiny laugh – honestly who _would_ want to tell the elder Gilmores.

"I know, babe," Lorelai could relate to this particular situation. "But, it's something that must be done!" She said in her best fighter voice.

"I know! I know! I've just been mulling it over and over in my head; I just can't find a way to tell them. It's all sounds so…." Rory waited a beat, trying to find a word to describe this specific feeling, but all she could come up with is "blah."

"Oh, Rory," Lorelai sighed, "we'll figure this out. I have had 25 years of experience with breaking bad news to my parents. It will be okay."

Rory slid over so that there was room for her mom to sit next to her in the big chair.

"Rule number one: do not agree to be a debutante, go through millions of dress fittings and find out ten minutes before the "coming out picture" photo-session that the dress doesn't fit. Not only is it a blow to your ego; it sets off talk of fat camp and surgeries." Lorelai shot her daughter mock stern look. "In my experience, when the parents find out their daughter is pregnant and NOT fat it just adds to the disappointment. "

The Gilmore Girls laughed heartily, and spent the rest of the flight coming up with the perfect way to break the news to Emily and Richard.


	19. Chapter 19

**Hi!**

**Okay, here it is: telling the Gilmores. I _dying _to know what you think about this chapter. Let me know!!  
Thanks for the reviews, I'm glad you all liked the last chapter, even though it was mainly filler.**

**Enjoy!  
Love,  
GilmoreGirl19**

**Disclaimer: I do not own GG!!**

* * *

It was a cold, but sunny day in late January. Rory stood in front of her full-length mirror, fidgeting with her blouse buttons. She was nervous and she had every right to be. Today, she would be telling her grandparents about Logan and the baby. Logan had left the "how to tell Emily and Richard-situation" up to Rory, since they were her grandparents. He wanted her to tell them in a place where she felt most comfortable, he knew that by default he would be the bad guy, so it didn't really matter to him.

The Gilmore Girls had concocted all sorts of elaborate schemes to break the news. They talked about mailing a picture of Rory and Logan in their wedding garb, sending over a stork, calling up Emily and asking her to swing by baby-gap for a onsie, inviting Emily and Richard over for a baby-themed movie-night, and having Finn call up the Gilmores to explain how exactly the whole situation happened, sex-ed and all.

However, after long consideration they decided it would be best to break the news to the elder Gilmores on Rory's home turf, in her apartment. Logan agreed; telling them here made it feel like they had the upper hand. It seemed appropriate to tell them here, and not on a hard couch in an icy mansion.

The sound of the ringing phone shortly stopped Rory's fidgeting.

"No, they are not here yet, Mom" she sighed in the phone, and now started messing with her hair.

She looked tanned and healthy. Maybe it was the tan from her surprise honeymoon or maybe it was that pregnant glow. Rory hoped her grandmother thought it was her tan.

"Well, just don't forget to put me on speakerphone" Lorelai said. "I don't want to miss this for the world. Oh, let me get my popcorn…." Lorelai sounded way too eager for Rory's taste.

Sure, _sometimes_ it was amusing to ruffle the Gilmores feathers, but _not_ today. _Not _under these circumstances and definitely _not_ to Rory.

"Mom!" Rory scolded, "You are part of this for moral support, not to make it worse! Now, hair up or down," she questioned.

"Down, it looks more innocent," Lorelai, said firmly.

Rory pulled her hair out of the messy bun it was styled in that morning and walked into the living room, the phone still clenched between her ear and shoulder.

"Mom, you are going on speaker now. They can be here any minute."

Rory gently placed the cordless phone back in its holder and walked over to Logan who was nervously rearranging the magazines and newspapers that lay spread out across the coffee table.

"I'm nervous" she inhaled deeply.

"Me too" Logan nodded, and pulled her into a reassuring hug.

"It'll be okay, Ace"

He wasn't so sure of that since Emily and Richard were in for a triple surprise. He guessed that they would be relatively accepting of the rekindled romance – he was a Huntzburger after all. He would get a tongue-lashing form each of the grandparents for crushing their granddaughter, even though the Gilmores had originally been upset with _Rory_ for rejecting the proposal in the first place. Oh, how he loved this twisted logic.

He wondered how Richard and Emily would react when they found out that Rory was a Huntzburger now. That would probably not go down well; not that they got married so much, but more the fact that Emily wasn't there to plan it and break the news to society.

He knew for sure that the Gilmores would not be happy about the pregnancy. It was against all Society Rules. He could just hear Emily. "First the scandal of '85, it only seems fitting that her daughter would be the scandal of 2010…." He hugged Rory tighter. "We'll get through this, okay?"

Lorelai's mock gagging broke the sweet embrace.

"Ech, you two make me sick"

Rory and Logan sat waiting on the couch in silence accompanied by the sound of Lorelai munching on popcorn when the buzzer went.

"It's show-time" Lorelai said in her game show voice.

Rory opened the door slightly.

"Would you look at that, Richard? It really is our granddaughter!" Emily exclaimed with a slight tone of bitterness in her voice, "I was wondering when we would finally see you again. Do you know it has been more three months since we have seen you? Frankly, Rory, I thought you were raised better…." Obviously, Emily wasn't in a good mood. She glanced at Rory sternly, waiting for some sort of apology.

"I'm so sorry Grandma, Grandpa. It's just been so hectic with all the travelling and holidays…." Rory trailed off. She didn't really feel _that_ sorry. She had to avoid them, desperate times and all. Surely, she could not help it if that meant jetting off to Europe to elope.

"Yes, well we've heard your excuses" Emily waved her hand, as if to erase all the problems. "Aren't you going to let us in?" she asked sweetly.

"Uh, sure" Rory said hesitantly. "I've been meaning to tell you something…."

Rory opened the door, letting her grandparents in to the large hallway. 'Well, you certainly have acquired a lot of things" Emily said offhandedly as she took in the hallway and handed Richard her coat to hang up.

"Yeah, about that…" Rory really couldn't get a words in edgewise since her grandmother just kept on talking. "I didn't know you had a mountain bike, Rory," Emily pointed at Logan's bike, "it seems rather masculine."

"Yeah, about that, Grandma" Rory said urgently. Richard caught the tone of his granddaughter's voice. "Emily, let the girl finish. She hasn't seen us in three months either."

Now that Rory had the floor, she really did not know what to say. They probably wouldn't believe her, whatever she said. "I think we should go into the living room," she said leading the way down the hall.

"You remember Logan Huntzburger, right?" she said cautiously. "_Yeah, great, he's my husband now," _she thought to herself.

Before Emily or Richard could respond, they had reached the living area to find Logan causally sitting at the breakfast bar, "working" on his laptop, just as they rehearsed, accompanied by a soft munching noise in the background.

Logan sat as if he belonged there, as if he sat at that breakfast bar every day for the past ten years. Of course, Logan actually did belong there, so it was not a hard part to play. He shut his laptop as he noticed the Gilmore clan walk in to the room.

He got up, and stood next to Rory. "Richard, Emily, good to see you again" he said with a slight tremble in his voice. He extended his hand to Richard, but his offer was neglected.

An exceptionally awkward silence fell over the apartment, except for a faint crunching sound. Each party was unsure what to say, or how to act. It was obvious that Emily and Richard were still trying to process how, in fact, "Logan-no-I-can't-marry-him -Huntzburger" wound up in Rory's apartment. Finally, Emily was the one who broke the silence.

"What is that noise?"

"Hi Mom" Lorelai's chipper voice filled the room.

"Lorelai?"

"In the phone," Lorelai said, as if it was a normal occurrence. Her revelation was met by more silence. She sighed deeply.

"So, is anyone going to say anything, or should I narrate the thing and Rory and Logan there can act it out. I'll keep it PG, don't worry, Mom" Lorelai said with frustration in her tone.

She had hoped Emily would make a scene, not because Lorelai enjoyed it – okay – she actually did. But, that was besides the point. It was easier to gauge Emily when she was angry. A quiet Emily was more dangerous. Lorelai waited patiently for ten seconds, and then Lorelai's chirping filled the room. It was her way of giving them a last chance. It was Logan who finally stepped up to the plate.

"Uh, we wanted to tell you sooner, and we wanted you to find out from us," he held his arm loosely around Rory's waist, "we got back together a few months ago and we are living together, and, uh…." Logan looked at Emily and Richards faces, he wanted to go on and say they were married, but their expressions were those of total disbelief, shock and a faint trace of disappointment and hurt, so he decided to wait for a minute so Emily and Richard had time to process.

"Proud of you, kid," Lorelai praised over the phone. At this comment, Emily exploded.

"Proud? Proud?" she stomped over to the phone, and started screaming at the phone holder, "You knew, you knew about this," she turned back and pointed at Rory and Logan, "about this mess. And, of course, you didn't think to call your mother. Let her know that her granddaughter was back in with the Huntzburgers!"

"Mom," Lorelai sighed "It's was up to the kids"

"It's up to the kids" Emily angrily mimicked Lorelai. She sharply turned to Richard, "It's up to the kids, Richard. Did you know it was up to the kids? I certainly didn't, did you get the memo?" she asked Richard sarcastically.

Richard swallowed. He had not been expecting this, and was not sure what to think. Rory had grown up considerably in the last two years; life on the road took away a bit of her innocence and moving to New York had been good for Rory; big city life agreed with her. He glanced at Rory in Logan's embrace and quickly eyed the apartment. He noticed some things that obviously belonged to Rory and other things that were clearly Logan's, but he also saw things he knew that they bought together.

He sighed, they weren't children anymore. They were grown up. It didn't mean he was full-on accepting the relationship; the boy had crushed Rory and Richard did not want his granddaughter to hurt again.

"Well?" Emily huffed, tapping her foot – waiting for an answer.

"They aren't kids anymore, Emily" Richard stated simply. Logan and Rory shot Richard surprised looks; did this mean he accepted the coupling?

His voice hardened, "It doesn't mean I approve."

He shot Logan a look that said 'we'll talk later', and continued.

"But if they think this is right, we have nothing to say about it. It's out of our hands, it has been for quite a while it seems".

Emily gasped, her own husband betrayed her. "Richard, you can't possibly support them living together without being married?"

Logan and Rory exchanged worried glances; Richard was just about to reply, when he was cut off by the sound of a choking Lorelai.

"For heaven's sake, Lorelai!" Emily scolded.

"Sorry, mom won't happen again," Lorelai said quickly. She couldn't help choking; she hadn't expected Emily to drop the M-word so soon in this little get together.

"Uh, Grandma," Rory smiled weakly, "The truth is that…" The youngest Gilmore Girl decided that it would best to let her finger to do the talking. She held up her hand, her ring glistening in the light.

Emily blinked at the ring. "Married – you two got married?" she seethed. This was something she could not comprehend. She was far too angry to put Rory's glow and that diamond ring on her finger together.

She turned sharply on her heal and faced her husband, again. "Honestly, Richard! This is unbelievable. I… I… I need coffee!"

Lorelai swallowed hard – her _mother_ requesting coffee was serious, since Emily rarely drank coffee outside of her morning cup. Logan and Rory shot each other another worried look – they didn't have coffee.

Logan shook his head in disbelief. This was going to get ugly fast. He looked at Rory, and he knew that she was incapable of doing much of anything. He quickly squeezed her hand, and nodded, letting her know that he'd take care of this.

He asked Richard if he wanted coffee, too and turned towards the kitchen.

A tense silence fell over the room – even Lorelai had stopped munching on her popcorn. The Gilmore Girls both wondered exactly how Logan would get them out of this mess.

Logan returned a minute later.

"We seem to be out of coffee…."

Rory rolled her eyes – how exactly was that taking care of the situation?

"Well, that's just preposterous! How can you – especially Rory – be out of coffee" Emily threw her arms up in the air dramatically.

"Next thing you know you'll be announcing you're with child!" she continued hotly.

"What else would she be pregnant with?" Lorelai quipped, instantly regretting her remark.

Another silence fell over the room, now with a seething Emily and Richard facing towards an on-the-verge-of-tears-Rory and a shell-shocked Logan.

"Mom, Dad…" Lorelai said softly.

"Oh my god, Richard," Emily's tone changed, now that the news was dawning on her, "it's true."

Rory noticed that her grandmother looked genuinely hurt. She was still angry, but there was definitely real pain in Emily Gilmore's eyes.

"Grandma…" Rory started softly, not really knowing what to say. "I'm sorry, it's just that…" She trailed off; she really didn't have anything to add. She wasn't sorry for getting pregnant or marrying Logan. She was sorry she hurt her grandma.

"Why don't we sit down?" Logan gestured towards the sitting area; he knew they would be in for a long conversation.

Emily and Richard sat on the couch, dazed.

"What's happening?" Lorelai questioned worriedly – it had been silent ever since Logan made everyone sit down.

"Mom," Rory called over towards the phone. "Grandma and Grandpa aren't saying anything... It's like we are at Madame Tussands."

"Huh," Lorelai snorted, "why wasn't I that lucky?"

Logan smiled at Lorelai's comment, but he decided it was best for him to start talking.

"Emily, Richard, I know this all comes as a shock to you – it came as a shock to us."

This caught the elder's attention, and now they both stared at Logan.

"About three months ago we ran in to each other at a business function. We talked a lot and after that Rory and I started seeing each other again…."

"So, you were just having such a lovely time, you decided to go ahead and start the joys of family life?" Emily spat.

"Grandma!" Rory exclaimed, appalled that her Grandmother was being so rude.

"Truthfully, Emily, that's how we feel about it." Logan replied, keeping his cool. "It certainly wasn't planned, but Rory and I are very happy about this. We realized it was just meant to be."

"Meant to be" Emily sneered. "Unbelievable."

"It was important for us to get married before the baby, so instead of going through all the fuss, we just eloped," Rory said quickly, and braced herself for her Grandmother's wrath.

Emily just shook her head, taking it all in.

"Well," Richard said folding his hands over his stomach, "that was very responsible of you two. Naturally, you understand that this is quite a lot of information for us to process."

Mr. Gilmore directed himself towards Logan, "Logan, I trust that your intentions with my granddaughter are honorable - that you will be faithful to her, provide for her and the baby?"

Internally, Rory and Logan were doing a happy dance – Richard had given them his blessing.

"Yes, yes, sir" Logan nodded his head for emphasis. Richard stuck out his hand, and Logan shook it.

"Richard!" Emily was outraged. Why was her husband such a pushover?

"Now, Emily, calm down."

"No, Richard, no I will _not _calm down! It happened again. It wasn't supposed to, not with her! Rory was supposed to…..Well, that doesn't matter anymore - it's all ruined."

"Thanks for the subtle dig, Mom," Lorelai deadpanned over the phone.

Richard looked over his shoulder, towards to phone. "Lorelai…" he warned.

The grandparents continued to bicker, Richard kept on arguing that _this _time the situation was handled in a responsible manner, Emily countering that Rory's life was over.

Rory sat on the couch, taking in her grandmother's words. This was not how it was supposed to go down. Emily was supposed to be upset, but Lorelai would remind her that Logan was a Huntzburger, and that she could plan a wedding reception and that she'd be a great-grandmother and then they'd watch the wedding DVD. But, now, Emily was concerned that Rory was throwing her life away – this was something they hadn't factored in.

"Guys," Rory tried to interrupt her grandparents, but it was no use. "HEY!" she yelled, this time getting their attention.

"Grandpa – thank you for understanding. I know you think that we did this since it's the right thing to do, but we really love each other, and I think that over time you will come to see that…." She shot her grandfather a pointed look and directed herself towards her grandmother.

"Grandma – what's _your_ problem?" Rory shot up from the couch. It came out harsher than expected, causing Lorelai to let out a quick laugh, and Logan to bit his tongue to hold in his laughter.

"Excuse me, young lady?" Emily narrowed her eyes to slits and glared at her granddaughter.

"I understand you are shocked. I understand you are upset you weren't at the wedding, I can tolerate that. I was prepared for that. But," she inhaled sharply, anger boiling inside her, "where do you get off insulting the life my _husband_ and I have created? Who are _you_ to tell _me _I'm throwing _my_ life away?"

An tense silence filled the room.

"Well?" Rory mimicked Emily's exact tone, and foot tapping from before.

"I... uh, I..." Emily couldn't really couldn't form a complete sentence.

Rory continued in a softer tone than before, "It's not all bad, Grandma. I mean, I'm having a baby…"

"Yeah," Lorelai interrupted, "You like baby's, mom."

Emily took in her daughter and granddaughters words – it was true, she had a soft spot for baby's.

"And, you always liked Logan – he has that beach house on Martha's Vineyard next to yours…" Lorelai continued.

"Yeah," Rory nodded her head enthusiastically, "We can go up there with the baby in the summer."

Emily paused, a tiny smile forming on her face, "That would be nice."

"And you love New York. It's a great excuse to go in to the City."

"Yeah, Grandma, you can visit us all the time."

Emily bobbed her head slightly, contemplating what her girls were saying.

"And think of how cute that kid will look, with Rory's eyes and Logan's hair," Lorelai carried on.

"Oh, yes," Rory said seriously, "like a little baby-model. The DAR-ladies will be so jealous."

Emily's smile grew larger, "Yes, it will be a beautiful baby." She inhaled deeply, the Gilmore Grandma finally caved.

"Rory, I just don't want to see you get hurt."

Rory smiled, "That seems to be the theme."

"Yeah, don't worry about that – Logan knows what will happen to him…." Lorelai let out an evil laugh, and Logan just shrugged.

"All right then," Emily nodded firmly, regaining composure and slipping back in to the role of society wife.

"Do Mitchum and Shira know?"

The couple shook their heads. "Well, you _need_ to tell them soon. We have to start planning how to break this to society."

Emily's mind was racing – a million things needed to be arranged. She grabbed the legal pad, and pen that were lying on the side table.

"How far along are you?"

"Uh, three months, Grandma" Rory answered, slightly taken aback by this impromptu interview.

"Any complications?"

"No"

"And you eloped?"

Rory nodded, "We got married in Lumley Castle…"

Emily inhaled sharply, wishing she had been able to see her granddaughter marry.

"And you are confident this man is the love of your life?"

Rory nodded again.

"And you plan to keep on working?"

"Yes."

Emily looked down at her notes – it will be a tough one to spin but she would figure something out.

"And you are sure it's legal?" she peered over her notes.

"Grandma!" Rory exclaimed.

"Emily…." Richard warned.

"Hey, Mom, save twenty questions for later. Rory, why don't you show grandma the wedding book," Lorelai suggested, hoping to bring back the calmness that was in the room just moments before.

"Honestly, Lorelai, I find it rather unhealthy you eavesdropping like this." Emily stated.

"Ah, Mom, I had the popcorn, I had the phone – it just seems right, you know." Lorelai quipped.

Emily and Rory settled in on the couch, the wedding book resting on their laps.

"Something to drink?" Logan asked. "No coffee, though." He chuckled lightly, hoping it wasn't too soon for jokes.

"Whatever you have will be fine," Richard replied, "though, may I ask, what happened to all the coffee? I was under the impression it was something that Rory needed to stay alive." Richard chuckled.

"That it was, but the baby doesn't like it. So we eliminated the problem."

"How" Richard inquired.

"I chucked it all." Logan said as he widened his eyes.

Richard laughed, "Good man, good man."

The Gilmores spent the rest of the afternoon at the apartment. They "read" the wedding book, and watched the wedding DVD. Emily and Richard told stories of when they visited the Bahamas' and London. Considering the circumstances it turned out to be a pleasant afternoon.

"Well, I'm glad you told us." Richard said embracing his granddaughter.

"At least it's better to find out here than at the Club, or a message on the answering machine." Emily glared at the phone as she put on her coat to leave.

"I'll never live that down, huh, Mom" Lorelai deadpanned, but Emily didn't respond.

"Call me as soon as you tell the Huntzburgers. I'll make plans for the wedding reception." All her anger had been replaced by excitement.

Rory and Logan reentered the living room, after saying their good-byes to Richard and Emily.

* * *

"Well, that was something; at least they _seem_ happy for us…." Rory sighed, suddenly overcome by fatigue. Dealing with the Gilmores was stressful.

"You did good, guys. One down, one to go." Lorelai said, "Oh shoot, I've got to go, I'm late for the town meeting."

"Bye!" Rory called in to the phone, but she was too late. Lorelai had hung up.

Rory walked over to Logan, who pulled her in to a comforting hug. "Chinese or Mexican?" he asked, knowing that she must be starving.

"Pizza" Her response came out muffled, since she was too tired to lift her head up from his chest.

* * *

_So? Did it live up to your expectations? _


	20. Chapter 20

**Hi!  
****First off, **_**thank you**_** for the amazing response on the last chapter. Twenty-two reviews! Unbelievable! Seriously, I'm psyched that you liked telling Emily and Richard as much as I did! I love seeing "long-time" reviewers mixed in with new ones. So, again, thanks!! It makes me smile! **

**I am not exactly sure where I will be taking the story from here, though I have a few ideas – suggestions are always welcome. Anyway, I hope you like this chapter. I don't want to give too much away, so I'll just stop it here. I dig it, but you may not. Remember; let me know what you think – even if you hate it!  
****  
Enjoy!  
Love, **

**Gilmoregirl19**

**Disclaimer; I don't own Gilmore Girls. **

* * *

The following morning Rory walked out of the bedroom dressed in her work-suit. It would be a stressful morning; she had a meeting at 9.30 and the rest of the afternoon she would spend researching a new article and working on her column.

She was startled to find Logan standing at the breakfast bar, dressed in his work suit, holding a cup of tea, his gazed fixed on the rhythmic flashing of the answering machine.

"You okay?" Rory asked concerned. "I thought you left…"

Logan shifted his gaze towards her, pulling out of his trance. "Yeah, yeah, I was on my way out – I just wanted to bring you some tea, and then the answering machine caught my eye…"

He held out her mug of tea, which she took from him. "Uh, so why don't you just press the button?"

He shook his head. "I don't want to," he stated seriously. Rory's eyes widened at his confession. He caught the confused look, and clarified, "who's the only one that calls us on the home phone?"

Rory bobbed her head as she thought about this. No one really ever called them on the home phone, the only reason Rory had one was for emergencies, for if she lost her phone, or if the battery was dead.

The only person ever to call the home phone _before_ her cell was Emily. Now Rory understood why Logan was reluctant to press the button. Who wanted to be greeted by Emilys' demanding voice at this ungodly hour?

She scrunched up her nose. "Well, I don't want to do it either!"

They both shook their heads, slightly embarrassed by their childish behavior.

"I thought _telling_ them would be the hard part," Rory shrugged, "Guess we were wrong."

Logan shot her a sympathetic smile. He knew that this was only the beginning. He knew what society was like, and he figured that Emily had already started planning the baby shower, christening and perhaps even its _first_ birthday.  
He knew soon they'd start receiving random messages about prestigious OB-GYN's and prep school pre-schools from Emily or _his own_ mother, if they ever got around to actually telling the Huntzbergers.

He rolled his eyes internally. '_Get it over with,'_ he thought to himself.

"Okay," he inhaled sharply. "I'm doing this!" he used his 'man-on-a-serious-mission-voice".

Rory laughed at the situation – here they were, practically parents, making a big deal out of a stupid phone message. Her laughter immediately stopped as her grandmother's voice filled the room.

"_Rory, why aren't you picking up your phone? It is 7 a.m. – you should be up by now. If this pregnancy is really making you this tired, you should talk to your doctor. I was calling to ask if you told the Huntzbergers yet. _

_I am heading out to the Club this afternoon, and I need to know how to act. Last month, Trudy Williamson asked Autumn Ginsburg if she had a little work done, even though we all know she did, you just don't mention it. It was a terrible faux pas. Needless to say, Trudy hasn't been back at the club since…. Just let me know as soon as possible, Rory. It isn't right to keep this to yourself, you know. _

_We also need to set up a date to talk about your baby shower, what do you think about pastel yellow. It **is** the new pink. _

_Oh, and I have heard wonderful things about this doctor, she assisted Nicole Richie with the birth of her daughter, so we should find out about getting you on her patients list. Maybe she can help with your fatigue. Don't worry, I'm sure Logan has some pull, he got you that Birkenbag after all and God knows how long that list was…. Oh, honestly, these maids the agency sends over…" _The message ended abruptly.

Rory blinked at Logan. _Was Emily insane? _He let out a low whistle, and shook his head.

"I'm sort of regretting ever buying you that Birkenbag, right now." Logan admitted, trying to lighten the mood a bit.

She nodded, and chuckled slightly. "You can't help your a hopeless romantic," she said as she leaned in for a kiss. After a minute or so, he pulled away gently – he was running late for work.

"I guess we have to figure out how to tell you parents' tonight," she said, ushering him towards the door. "Bring Chinese. We'll need it."

He nodded. "I know, it's serious - we can't let Emily become the next Trudy von Crazyville."

"Heaven forbid," she laughed and rolled her eyes.

* * *

As Logan rode the elevator up to Travel Magazine's offices a million thoughts were running through his mind, none of them work related. Perhaps that was to be expected since his home life had changed rapidly in the last few months, though frankly Logan's mind was never focused on his work.

Work was okay, it gave him some extra fun money, but it was _work_; he was not passionate about it.The only reason he took Rich McNeal up on his offer was because he was getting tired of living out his suitcase. If McNeal had asked Logan to work at a McDonalds he probably would have jumped at the chance.

Logan was not passionate about the start-up company he had been working for in San Francisco either, that is why he left and started to travel. During his travels he discovered the only thing he knew well and was avid about was writing. The young Huntzberger considered himself a good writer, and he had a knack for spotting promising writers. He also understood the business side of journalism and the boy knew what elements a paper needed to succeed.

He hated to admit it, but Logan's dream job would be forming a part of Huntzberger Publishing Groups infamous consulting board. Now, that would be an exciting challenging job. He would coach a struggling paper back to success, instruct others _how_ to work, without actually having attend weekly meetings and commit to boring editorial work. It was a real shame Logan swore that he'd never work for HPG again.

Logan sighed as he got off the elevator, and made a beeline to the staff cafeteria. His day always started with some bad coffee and a slightly stale blueberry muffin.

He entered his office, mug in one hand, his muffin and a stack of papers his secretary handed to him balancing in the other, his gaze firmly set on the notes.

"It's about time"

Logan's eyes instantly shot up from his papers, and met his father's stern looking grey-blue eyes. A wave of panic washed over his body. What was his father doing here? He hadn't seen him since he moved out to San Francisco. Did his dad know about Rory or was this strictly business? Ever since Logan returned to NYC a little over five months ago Mitchum had been trying to pressure Logan back in to working for HPG. Mitchum reasoned that Logan had been too young the first time around, and that the bad business deal was a result of Logan's rebelliousness. However, now the right time had come and Logan needed to be back at the family business and not wasting his talent goofing off at some on-line magazine.

"Well, I wasn't exactly expecting company," Logan retorted.

He didn't look at his father, instead he put down his coffee, muffin and turned his back to Mitchum and sifted through the papers his secretary had just handed him. He wasn't concentrating; he felt Mitchum's eyes burning a hole in his back.

Mitchum watched as his son placed down his belongings and pretended to work. He smirked inwardly; his son hadn't changed much. He cleared his throat, which earned a quick look from Logan but he quickly returned to his papers. It was clear that Logan wasn't going to crack this easily, so Mithcum stood up from the desk chair and starting applauding.

"Quite a show. I never thought I'd live to see the day Logan Huntzberger actually worked. Stunning performance!" Mitchum had sarcasm dripping from every word.

Logan felt his blood boil. Did his Dad come all the way down to his office just to hack? 'His ego must have taken a big hit', Logan thought.

He sighed; he didn't want to start a fight. In the _very_ near future he deed to break some very important news and that alone would give Mitchum reason to be upset with him for years to come.

"I _am_ actually quite busy. I'm sure you know what that's like. So, what brings you here?" Logan replied, hoping his anger wasn't shining through in his tone.

Mitchum glared at his son unimpressed.

"Cut the crap, son. You can't possibly be _that_ busy if you were able to take a three-week vacation…"

A fresh wave of panic set in. Shit, how did Mitchum know that?

"It was hardly a vacation…" Logan swallowed, hoping his Dad would not see the worry that had just set in.

Mitchum, however, caught that speck of worry and confusion in his son's eyes. "You miss a lot when you are out on vacation – I mean "research." But I'm _sure _the editor-in-chief needed to take on this particular assignment on European night-life, or was it island hopping? " Mitchum said condescendingly, acknowledging Logan's tan.

This was too much for Logan to take in. How in the world did Mitchum know he had been out of office? Essentially, though, his father was right - it was unheard of for an editor in chief to go on extensive research, but Logan needed it as a cover. However, he couldn't openly admit that since he still wasn't sure what Mitchum was playing at. Instinctively, Logan held is hand behind his back and wiggled his wedding band of his finger and in to his back pocket, as he continued to glare at his father.

"This is a new side of you, son. I never knew you could actually shut up and listen to me!"

Logan rolled his eyes in anger, and carried on listening to his father.

"If you had been here, you would have been able to attend the transitional cocktail…"

Logan stared at his father quizzically. What the hell was going on here?

"I decided HPG needed to change it up, appeal to the younger market, target another group and Travel Magazine fit the profile perfectly."

Logan felt like he was standing in quicksand. "This could not be happening" he thought as his father walked over to him and placed his out strechted arms on Logan's shoulders, grinnend evily, bearing his coffee stained teeth.

"Welcome back to the Huntzberger Publishing Group, son!"

"WHAT?" Logan exploded.

Mitchum snorted. "Oh, cut the crap! It is obvious you hate it here. You tend to forget that I'm your father, and as much as you hate to believe it, I know you." Mitchum's voice was soft, though his tone was still firm.

"You hate it here," He continued. "You don't want an office job – correcting other's stupid mistakes, attending dumb meetings. You want to be the guy telling other's how to do it, without actually having to do it…. You are a Huntzberger after all…. "

"That's not true!" Logan countered angrily, it was a weak attempt but he had to try. He hated that his father knew him so well.

Mitchum raised his eyebrows. "Logan, things are changing in journalism. I am not going to watch you waste your talent padding about this _crap hole_. I need you in the front line consulting the others."

Logan's eyes lit up – the consultancy position – but he couldn't, could he? He wiped his hand over his face in frustration. "So, I don't have a choice in this?" he asked raising his voice, "You just decide to buy a magazine, just to get me back…"

Mitchum shook his head, "You really are one egotistical SOB! How many times have I told you – the business is changing. We need to stay ahead of the game. On-line magazine's are dropping left and right. What we need is one strong magazine as an example. You have the insight to contribute to our industry. Hell, out of all the on-liners Travel Magazine is the most profitable, that's why I needed to snatch it up!"

Just then Mitchum's phone buzzed, he indicated towards Logan that this conversation wasn't over, and left the room.

Logan swallowed hard. Had his father just given him a compliment? Was Travel Magazine _really_ doing that well? He knew they had been doing okay, but at the same time, Logan knew that the on-line magazine business was cutthroat.

Mitchum reentered the room. "Old York has just folded," he stated solemnly.

"What? How can that be? They were number 76 on the Best Magazine's list" Logan asked concerned.

"Times change."

But, what about what about Rory," Logan asked instantly regretting his comment – by the look in his father's eyes, it was clear Mitchum knew nothing about Rory or his current marital status.

"Excuse me?"

"She writes those columns, I uh, enjoy reading them…." Logan tried to sound casual.

Mitchum took in his son's flushed appearance. It was obvious that there was more to this than a bunch of columns.

"Is that so?" Mitchum sneered.

"She's a great writer," Logan shot back, his protectiveness taking over.

"If you say so," the elder Huntzberger shrugged.

"God, Dad, this was _always _the problem!" Logan boomed, suddenly _very_ mad about his Dad's indifference. "She was never good enough for me, for the Huntzbergers! That's a load of crap and you know it!"

Mitchum raised his eyebrows, slightly taken aback by this sudden out-burst. "It's water under the bridge son. She's out of your life."

"So, consulting, huh?" Logan asked, not-so-subtly trying to change the subject.

"Logan," his dad warned slightly concerned, "Is Rory Gilmore in or out of your life?"

He inhaled sharply, preparing to answer his father, though his phone interrupted him. A short buzz alerted him that he had a text-message.

"_Hope your day is better than mine, because mine is sucking hard-core. If there were a contest for bad days, mine would come out on top. I swear. Bring pizza and ice-cream home, we will need it if we are going to figure out this Huntzberger situation tonight. XOXO" _

Mitchum observed his son as he read the text-message. His eyes lit up and he smirked as Logan typed his reply. It was obvious that Logan was back in with that Gilmore Girl. Mitchum did not mind her so much, in his opinion she was an okay writer, she had a fairly good upbringing. More importantly, she had a good head on her shoulders and let Logan go to London and grow up a bit. He understood that Rory Gilmore had this pull on his son, like no one else.

In the end, Mitchum knew he had no say in Logan's love life, so to be upset would be pointless. Even though he did not know the extent of their relationship, he was okay with Logan being with Rory. He was just happy Logan did not choose some gold-digging floozy to spite his parents.

"Say hi to Rory for me," he said casually, as Logan put his cell back in his pocket.

Logan froze. "Excuse me?" He hoped his anxiety wasn't audible.

"You heard me. You do not have to be so secretive. It's unattractive." Mitchum shot back, slightly frustrated. He had come here to talk about business, not his son's crazy love life.

He softened his tone, "Do what you have to do, if that means you're with her – fine. Take her to the Vineyard for all I care…" Mitchum paused, "just don't tell your mother."

Logan bobbed his head, as he took in his father's words. Mitchum did not sound upset, or shocked. His words sounded close to something that resembled kindness.

"We got married," Logan, blurted. Again, it was something he had not wanted to confess just yet – but his father's uncharacteristic kindness prompted Logan to be honest with him.

"WHAT?"

"Uh," Logan was mentally kicking himself for being so open with his father. He should have known better. While he was struggling to find the words to explain this situation, his father continued.

"What in the world were you thinking? Running off and getting married – how long have you been back with her?"

"Close to four months," Logan replied absentmindedly, still trying to figure out why he had told his father this way.

"Oh my God! You got her pregnant!" Mitchum's eyes widened in realization, "She let you knock her up – so you'd have to stick around this time!"

"HEY!" Logan bellowed, snapping out of his trance. "I never left her, she turned _me_ down, remember? Get the facts straight before you accuse my _wife_ of anything_! _And yes, the baby was unplanned, but that doesn't mean it's not wanted!" Logan was fuming.

"So she is pregnant?" Mitchum blinked, this was certainly unexpected. Society would not take this well; he could hear the gossip at the Club now. However, he was confident that if Emily knew that she was busy with damage control. Again, he thought about his son's relationship with Rory. Shira would hit the roof – this would not go down well. Mitchum didn't want to get too involved – he was here on business after all.

Logan nodded, "But, Dad, you have to understand. We got married because I love her, we always wanted to get married and the baby just pushed us a little faster. It's not a bad thing. It won't shame the family name, or anything – Emily Gilmore is planning our coming out party as we speak…."

He rubbed his forehead slightly. This was out of his hands, it was pointless to fight about his now. Besides, once Shira heard about this all hell would break loose, 'That would be enough punishment for the young couple' Mitchum thought evilly.

"Well, than I guess congratulations are in order." He just wanted to get this out of the way - back to business.

Logan was shocked – it was that simple?

"Don't think we are done with this conversation, though. You and Rory are to come over to dinner Sunday night, to tell your mother _personally_. You and I will go over the paperwork. I trust you have some sort of a pre-nuptial agreement and that the marriage is legal?"

Logan swallowed, there wasn't exactly a pre-nup, but the marriage was definitely legal.

"Okay, we'll be there." He nodded.

"Good, back to business. This is your last week as editor at Travel Magazine…."

"Dad," Logan interrupted,

"No, Logan. You are our one of the new consultants. You need to have a job that challenges you – I do not need you bored and fooling around with other women to fill the void. I _certainly_ don't want a Huntzberger-Gilmore divorce on my hands."

He glared at his son. Even though Mitchum somewhat approved of the pairing and thought his son was a valuable business asset it was painfully obvious how little he thought of him in terms of his personal life. Reluctantly, though a tiny bit excited to pursue on his dream job, Logan agreed to be part of the HPG once again. He hoped Rory would take the news well.

* * *

"I think you've met your "worlds' suckiest day" competition," Logan laughed as he entered the apartment holding a large pizza box, a bag of Chinese take-out and a tub of rocky-road ice cream.

"I highly doubt that!" Rory responded. She was sitting on the couch, in her pajamas, clenching her coke can. He could tell that she had been crying.

"That bad, huh?"

She swallowed hard, "I got fired,"

He nodded sympathetically; of course, he knew Old York was no more – Mitchum later explained it had something to do with bad financing.

"I'm sorry, Ace"

"So, can you beat that?" She looked up, and shot him a quick smile.

"Mitchum showed up at my office today, and let's just say that you, me and _it_ are expected to attend dinner Sunday. Oh, and do not worry about your job. You are looking at the new HPG's consultant for the New York area."


	21. Chapter 21

**Hi! **

**Congratulations to BLUEDANCER - my 200th reviewer! That's awesome, I _never_ expected that this story would get over 200 reviews. Thanks to all my other amazing reviewers/readers. You guys are SUPER!  
****I'm stoked you liked the last chapter; for a second there I thought you'd maybe think the Huntzberger take-over was a little Bold and the Beautiful.  
Anyway, I hope you liked this new one! Let me know. I know a lot of you are dying to see the baby-shower, though it'll probably take a while before we get around to that - is there anything else you want to see in the story? Let me know!! **

**Enjoy!  
Love,  
Gilmoregirl19**

Disclaimer: Don't own the Bold or GG

* * *

The following morning had an entirely different feel to it. Normally Logan and Rory were busy getting ready for work, drinking tea, scarffing down a pop tart or two, checking last minute emails and heading out the door, always running late for their jobs. This morning, however, Logan was dressed for work, packing his briefcase as Rory was still in her pajamas' frowning in to her tea mug.

"Are you going to be okay?" Logan asked concerned.

"Yeah, I'll figure something out. It's just weird, you know. I have nothing do to."

"It's not all bad – you could be working for HPG," Logan joked, but by the look on Rory's face, it was too soon.

"Seriously, though, maybe it's better you aren't working. You can focus on the baby, catch up on your reading, watch whatever we tivo'ed when we were away, I'm sure Ellen's had some good guests…." he tried again.

She sighed heavily and nodded. "That's a good idea…I heard David Beckham took his shirt off…," She mused, trying to sound somewhat enthusiastic.

He chuckled, "Well, have fun with David – I'd offer to meet up for lunch– but Mitchum has me in meetings all day, but to make it up to you, I'll cook dinner, whatever you want!"

He kissed Rory quickly, and headed for the door. "I'll be back by six!"

Rory sat on her breakfast barstool, the silence of the apartment ringing in her ears. Everyone she knew was at work, what did she have to do? Yesterday, she was Old York's "it-columnist" now she was a nobody, just another one of the thousands of New York's unemployed. Not only unemployed – she was _pregnant. _She was pathetic!

She shook her head. "It's not the end of the world; I would have gone on maternity leave in a few months, anyway. It's just a little sooner." She rambled to herself, as she grabbed a paper napkin and a pen from the breakfast bar, to make a pro/con list.

"And, I won't have to rush back to work, after it's been born, so that's a pro," she continued talking to herself. "Oh, talking to myself, that's bad…" She noted this on the con side. She jotted down a few items on each side, and glanced over the list, sighed heavily as she crumbled the napkin to a ball and tossed it in the garbage can. She would figure the work situation out another day.

"What am I going to do?" she asked the empty apartment. For now, she decided she would indulge in her current workless state. She changed in to a clean pair of pajama's, grabbed her favorite blanket and book, set a pot of tea and curled up on the couch.

She ignored everything, except Logan's occasional text message. She spent the rest of the week like that, living in her sweats, reading her books, replying to Logan's texts, eating Logan's home-cooked '_I'm sorry your life turned into an empty mess'_ food. She only talked to her mother once, but Lorelai had to cut it short – work intervened.

When her home phone rang she let the machine pick it up, she really couldn't deal with Emily Gilmore at a time like this. Late Friday afternoon the phone was ringing again.

"_RORY, LOGAN? Are you there? Honestly, it's impossible to get a hold of you two these days! I hope everything is okay – Rory, are you still tired?  
Anyway, excellent news. Your grandfather and I have dinner plans with Mitchum and Shira Sunday night. I gather this means you to have finally told them – it was about time!" _

Rory shot up from the couch as Emily's shrill voice filled the room. Shoot! Rory had totally forgotten about the Huntzberger dinner. She let herself fall back on to the couch and groaned loudly.

"Wow, you always make noises like that when you're alone?" Logan smirked, as he entered the living room.

Rory shot up again, "Ha, ha," she deadpanned. "Emily called."

He rolled his eyes, and headed towards the bedroom, loosening his tie and unbuttoning his shirt. "What did she want this time?"

Emily had been leaving messages all week – completely random things, like if Rory was taking any prenatal vitamins, or that she saw a cute Dior baby dress. It was driving them crazy! On the other hand, Emily had fully embraced their relationship and the baby – that was a big silver lining.

"She wanted to let us know your parents invited them to dinner Sunday," she called lazily from the couch.

"Well, at least we won't be alone, maybe they'll show us some support…" He said as he emerged from the bedroom dressed in his sweats, and leaned over the couch to kiss Rory.

Logan cooked dinner, as Rory set the table. After dinner, Rory did the dishes, as Logan selected their movie for the night. Before, they would just munch on take-out and spend a significant amount of time on-line, finishing up work before going to bed. Now that Rory was out of work, Logan did not want to be taking his home. It was remarkable how comfortably they fell in to this new routine. They liked it, though Logan was slightly concerned that Rory was living in her sweats, sure, she bathed and everything but she rarely made it outside. He was worried that laying on the couch and eating twizzlers and chocolate all day wasn't the best course of action for Rory. On the other hand it could be a pregnancy thing – what did he know? For now, they both seemed content with the situation, so Logan decided to let it rest. Sundays' dinner would bring enough drama.

* * *

Logan walked in to the bedroom to find Rory in her bathrobe surrounded by several piles of pants, blouses, dresses and skirts. Rory was frantically pacing between the piles of clothes, picking up random items, holding them up to her bathrobe-clad body, sighing and tossing them to the side.

"Uh, Ace…"

She turned sharply towards him, and snapped, "What?!"

He tried hard not to smirk, but he really couldn't help it. He thought she was very cute when she was all riled up.

"Nothing – just wanted to see if you were ready…"

"Well, then, that's not nothing is it?" She glared at him. He shrugged, acknowledging she had a point. "Oh, sure, just shrug. If you want to ask me if I'm ready just ask!"

She threw her hands up in the air, and got back to digging through the piles of clothing.

"Hey, I'm sorry, but we really need to get going. It's a long drive to Hartford," he didn't sound angry. He wasn't, he knew Rory acted crabby when she was under a lot of pressure. And he knew she was still trying to come to terms with her unemployment, the baby, the Huntzbergers, _everything._

"Don't you think I know that, Logan? We have been to Hartford many times before. Just because _I _stopped working, doesn't mean my _brain_ has!" She glared at Logan, and mumbled, "_Asshole."_

"Excuse me?" Logan asked incredulously. Rory had never called him that before. He was sure she didn't mean it, and he knew she could have called him much worse, but it was still amazingly out of character.

"You heard me!"she boomed. "Asshole, asshole, asshole!" She stomped around the bedroom, kicking a pile of clothing each time she exclaimed asshole.

He stood there, taking it all in his stride. She was definitely putting on quite a show, but they really needed to get a move on.

"Rory, just calm down!"

He walked over to her, and tried to pull her into a hug. After a brief struggle, she relaxed in his arms. "Now, what's wrong?"

It remained quiet. He sighed, "_Rory, ´_

She pulled back from the hug, "I'm stupid" she declared solemnly.

He laughed loud and heartily. At moments like this, he wondered exactly how Rory's mind worked, why would she think she was stupid?

"Ace," he sighed as he finally caught his breath, "You aren't _stupid_!"

"Uh, yeah I am," she countered, now letting go of Logan and thrusting out her stomach for him to see. "All of this won't fit in any of this," she spread her arms out across the room gesturing towards the clothes.

He looked at her – she was right, she had put on some weight. He cheeks were rounder, her breasts fuller, she had the tiniest baby bump and he knew she was sporting some nice love handles.

"So, none of it fits?" he asked, trying to be the supportive husband.

"Nothing!"

"Uh," he was thinking, "not wanting to run the risk of being called _asshole_ again…" She shot him an apologetic smile, "but what about maternity clothes? I thought you were going shopping?"

"It turned out I was really busy this week…" she blushed.

"Oh,"

An awkward silence filled the room, both wondering what to do about the situation.

"Damn those twizzlers." Rory laughed, breaking the silence.

"Hey, nobody puts baby's twizzlers in the corner…." Logan laughed back.

He sighed, and dug through a pile of clothing, holding up different dresses, each vetoed by Rory.

"What about this?" Rory asked, holding up Logan's favorite Yale sweatshirt.

"It's a little casual," Logan shrugged.

Rory untied her robe, pulled on a plain white tee and the sweatshirt. It was big on her, hitting halfway her thigh but super comfortable. She twirled, like a model, waiting for his approval.

"Pants, Ace, pants!" Logan smirked, definitely enjoying the little show.

Rory dug through another pile of clothes and pulled out pair of black leggings.

"I said pants," Logan smirked, Rory shot him a death glare, "but close enough," he relented.

She smiled as she finished getting ready. She tied her hair in a loose bun, dabbed some clear lip-gloss on her lips, found her ballerina flats and put diamond studs in her ears. She completed her high-end, super casual look in less than five minutes.

"Wow, I do believe we have set a new record!" Logan laughed.

* * *

Logan and Rory stood in the Huntzberger foyer handing their coats to the maid, listening to the hushed voices of Richard, Emily, Shira, Elias and Mitchum.

"Right this way,"

The pair followed the maid as she lead them into the sitting room. Tense silence immediately filled the room, as the Huntzbergers and Gilmores took in the couple.

"_Rory_!" Emily scolded, "What on earth are you wearing?" The Gilmore Grandma was mortified; she wanted Rory to make a good impression, show up looking stunning, not homeless.

"Uh, I made a miscalculation…" Rory bit her bottom lip nervously; did she really want to jump right in to the whole pregnancy thing?

"Rory and I need to find a day to hit up Mom's R Us and do some serious damage to the black card," Logan jumped in, and placed his hand protectively on her hip, "but Dad's been keeping me busy with this transfer." Logan swiftly tried to change the subject and earned some polite laughter from the group.

"Well, why don't you two sit down," Shira said in her best society voice.

Mitchum, Logan, and Richard were talking about the business. Elias sat there, quietly, flipping through TIME magazine, looking up occasionally, shooting Rory a comforting smile.

She sat there quietly, squeezing Logan's hand, exchanging friendly smiles with Logan's grandfather and listening in on Emily's and Shira's conversation, the pair were gossiping about Bea Wellington's new hairstyle.

It was all polite pre-dinner talks, the real and possibly fatal confrontation would not come until dinner, post-appetizers, pre-after dinner drinks.

"So, Rory," Shira asked sweetly, as the maid cleared away her salad plate, "I'm _dying_ to know, how did you run in to Logan. I thought you were off in _Iowa_…" Shira narrowed her eyes as she said Iowa, as if she was accusing Rory of something.

Rory took a sip of her soda, stalling, since she _really_ hated that sickeningly sweet _fake_ tone Shira had. She swallowed hard, and smiled her best society smile.

"Well, _Shira_," Rory mimicked her mother-in-law's sweet/accusatory tone, though she spoke slowly, almost as if she was speaking to a child. "I _was_ in Iowa for the first three weeks of the campaign trail, which started almost _two and a half_ years ago… It ended for me in Mississippi, since I was fed-up with all the travelling." She paused, not really wanting to bring up her now _non-existent _place of employment. "I moved to New York, and one night I ran in to Logan at an industry get-together."

The table remained silent as they took in Rory's words. Emily, Richard, and Logan were impressed that Rory won this round. But, of course, Shira would be back for more.

"Well, that's just _lovely_," Shira said with a tightly clenched jaw. Logan wanted to pipe up, but it was becoming clear that this would be a showdown between the old Mrs. Huntzberger and the new Mrs. Huntzberger.

"_Dear_, if you don't mind my asking, how exactly did you get yourself in to this little…" Shira leaned forwards, and brought her voice down to a hushed whisper, "_predicament." _

Rory locked eyes with her competitor and narrowed her eyes slightly. "Well, I hardly see how a child created out of love can be labeled a predicament, _Shira_."

Rory: 2 - Shira: 0.

Emily grinned widely, extremely proud at how her sweatshirt-wearing granddaughter was handling herself in this situation.

Shira took a sip of her wine, carefully deciding on her next move. "That as it may be, _sweetheart, _I'm sure you agree this situation is far from ideal. I am _sure_ you planned to be married a _proper _amount of time first, before thinking about the joys of parenthood…" Shira paused, "But then again, you haven't exactly had the best role models."

Rory silently thanked her Grandma's messages, in between all the fluff; Emily had actually left some pretty useful information about Shira's past. Emily knew that the only reason Mitchum married Shira was because she was pregnant with what would turn out to be Honor. Shira wasn't even in a committed relationship with Mitchum, though he insisted on getting married since it was the "right thing to do." However, he never changed his playboy-ways. This little bit of information was one of Hartford's best-kept secrets, for obvious reasons, and Shira certainly was not aware that Emily knew this.

Rory let out a tiny, barely audible snort. _Was this lady for real?_

She smiled, a huge fake smile, "_I _could say the same for you."

Shira almost choked on her wine. _Was Rory bluffing or did she know? _

Rory: 3 – Shira: 0

The maid entered with the main course and they had started eating. Slowly conversation had shifted back towards the new business, as Shira sat there, angrily cutting her steak, pissed off tremendously that some young presumptuous girl had the upper hand in this situation.

"Well, I hope you understand the consequences," Shira said suddenly, bringing business conversation to a halt. "Society will have a field day…."

"Will you give it a rest, woman?" Elias boomed from across the table.

Rory, Logan, Shira, Mitchum, Emily and Richard shot him surprised looks.

"Excuse me?" Shira asked, completely shocked at her father-in-law's behavior. Mitchum told her that _she_ would be the one to handle this situation – what was Elias doing?

Elias got up and walked over to Shira. "Would you look at them?" He pointed his fork at Logan and Rory, who were sitting there like deer caught in the headlights. "The boy took her all the way here, to face you, in my book that's _amore._"

Elias turned towards Shira again, "Now concerning the rest of their relationship - babies, secret weddings, pre-marital sex," Elias gesticulated widely, "hell, I don't want to know. If society does, than that's a sad state of affairs, but I'm sure Emily will take care of that… "He looked over his shoulder, "right, Em?"

Emily laughed politely, and nodded. _"Off meds" _she mouthed at Logan and Rory. This was another one of Hartford's secrets Emily knew about. A few years back Elias had some sort of breakdown, and he had tended to speak his mind afterwards. Since it often came across like drunk rambling, the Huntzbergers kept Elias on strict medication.

"I'm sure you are worried about the money – heaven forbid you can't buy those new Gucci's or Prada's, or have that little nip/tuck you were talking about…" Shira uncomfortably squirmed in her chair, "I'm sure the boy has set up some sort of agreement, and if not, Mitchum will take care of that. So, society's out of the way, moneys' taken care of…"

Elias looked around the room, making sure he did not forget anything. "That's it. So, Shira, just be happy for the kids. They deserve it." He walked over to the other side of the table, and kissed Rory's cheek before kissing Logan's, "Congratulations, kids! Goodnight and goodbye!"

With that, Elias walked out of the dining room, humming the melody to "Wild Thing". They waited until the "music" faded away, and Mitchum directed himself towards his guests.

* * *

"Sorry about that. My father really never recovered after that little episode in 2006…" he apologized.

"Oh, don't be!" Richard laughed, "It was quite amusing, and he has a point…"

Mitchum nodded seriously. He was glad that Richard seemed to agree with him. Society men did not have the time to dwell on what happened, it was much more important to deal with the situation at hand, to the men it did not matter if the children loved each other, as long as they accepted responsibility for their actions.

"Well, they have taken this all in their stride," Mitchum stated.

"Hmm, yes, very responsible," Richard agreed.

"I trust Emily will take care of the society side of things…" Mitchum replied, getting down to business.

"Announcements for all the important papers have been typed up, just waiting for the word. Most of the prep-work for the baby shower has been done, and once we have a sex and a due date we can plan the christening. We are trying to get her an appointment with Nicole Richie's doctor and apart from fatigue everything is going swimmingly." Emily reported. She paused for a second, "This is not a bad thing, gentlemen. It was bound to happen eventually – albeit I had hoped under different circumstances…."

"Good, make sure to involve Rory in as much of that as possible, she has the time…" Mitchum quickly interjected, ignoring Emily's comment not wanting to discuss the emotional aspects of his son's relationship any longer.

The elders continued to discuss details of Logan and Rory's future, as the couple in question sat there, eating in silence.

"Is it me, or did they forget we are here?" Logan whispered in his wife's ear.

"Hardly," Shira spat, but quickly carried on with her meal since Mitchum kicked her under the table.

Soon enough the awkward main course was over, and dessert was served.

"Tiramisu!" The maid announced excitedly as she placed a large bowl of the coffee drenched Italian dessert infront of Rory.

She nervously bit her lip, a wave of panic washed over her. She could not eat this, not here, not now. Oh, oh, that smell, the sweet smell of coffee filled her nostrils and instantly a wave of nausea hit her. She jolted up, her chair falling to the floor and ran towards the nearest bathroom.

An evil smile played at Shira's lips, Rory: 3 – Shira: 1. She was so smug about her little 'victory' she didn't notice Logan shooting her death glares and excusing himself to make sure Rory was okay.

"How could you, Shira?" Emily exasperated, "I specifically told you that _coffee_ was not to be served or incorporated in any of the dishes seeing as it clearly upsets Rory…"

Mitchum, Richard and Emily glared at Shira.

"Well, I must have misunderstood...," she shrugged and dug in to her desert.

Emily looked at her disbelievingly. _Was this woman for real? _

Mitchum offered the Gimores an apologetic smile, signaling that he would deal with his crazy wife.

"Shira, are you out of your mind?" He sighed frustrated, rubbing his temples.

"What?" she asked, feigning innocence.

"I _told_ you that it was okay to be upset with the children, since their whole coupling is not something we anticipated, however they are together now, and our families have been joined. It is important that we present ourselves as a united front, for business purposes and society…." Mitchum spoke slowly; making sure his wife took this all in.

Mitchum sighed, remembering what Emily said before, "It means a lot to the children, too." He looked at Emily, who was smiling widely, and Richard was nodding contently.

"Well, I refuse to see it that way!" Shira exclaimed, "you know as well I do that Rory Gilmore is nothing but a gold digging floozy, who tricked Logan in to sleeping with her. She was _never_ good enough for him, she changed him, she.."

"ENOUGH!" Logan yelled as he pointed at his mother. "I sat here all night listening to you trash talk my _wife_…." Shira's balled her fist in frustration, she hated that Logan referred to Rory his wife, "That's right, my _wife_.. You are right – she changed me for the better. She is the perfect girl for me, and she'll make a fantastic mom. If you can't see that and accept that, then, I guess we won't be seeing _you_ any time soon." Logan glared at his mother. She he was serious.

He shifted his gaze towards his father. "Dad, thanks for your support. I'll fax you any legal document you want, right now Rory and I should get home…" Mitchum nodded, and looked at Emily and Richard. "Thank-you for coming tonight, it means a lot to us. See you Friday?"

His grandmother-in-law nodded, "I'll get you Nicole Richie's doctor's number as soon as possible, this nausea can't be normal."

Logan smiled weakly, he turned sharply on his heal, leaving his now crying mother behind. He met Rory in the foyer, and was about to open the door when the maid stopped him, handed him two bottles of water, two bottles of coke and a box of saltine crackers. "Compliments of Mrs. Huntzberger."

Rory and Logan looked at each other, both smiling widely.

Rory: 4 – Shira: 1

GAME OVER.


	22. Chapter 22

**Hi Guys, **

**Sorry I have not updated recently! I am sort of in the middle of moving from Holland back to Florida. I leave in ten days - I am going to do an internship there for school, so I am **_**super**_** excited about that, though all the paperwork for it actually to happen is just a big pain. Anyway, I'll be on vacation with my family here (in Europe) next week, and once I get settled in Florida I'll be on vacation with my family there – perks of divorce I guess - so prepare for a summer of sporadic updates. **

**I'm not exactly sure when I'll wrap up this story – it sort of depends on you guys – you know, if you start hating it, then I'll stop. However, I plan to continue this story for a while – we still have a good 5 months of pregnancy ahead, not to mention all the HPG drama, and the impact that will have on the R/L-relationship…..**

**Oh! Thank-you Curley-Q for calming my nerves when the email update-thingy was down, I had never experienced that before, and I didn't like it one bit, but thanks for telling me that it was semi-normal. **

**Thank-you to all my other wonderful reviewers, I LOVE reading the reviews and I'm happy that most of you liked the way telling the Huntzbergers played out. The positive reviews let me know I'm on the right track, those few slightly less enthusiastic ones keep me on my toes. Awesome! So, thanks for reading & reviewing! Keep it up!!**

**This chapter is inspired by brighteyes2682 for suggesting a detour to Lorelai. It **_**may**_** come off as a little filler-ish, ****but maybe not….It's needed as the bridge for the next part of the story, so if it was boring bear with me – more exciting stuff to come! **

**Love,  
****Gilmoregirl19**

Disclaimer: sadly, I do not own Gilmore Girls or any of the magazines, movies or tv shows mentioned.

* * *

"And, I was like, how can a child created out of love be labeled a predicament, _Shira!_" Rory exclaimed triumphantly, grabbing the box of saltines.

Logan laughed, "I know, Ace, I was there."

"I know, but…" She held up the saltine box, "this is awesome!" She laughed wickedly, "I never knew crackers meant peace and acceptance, but Shira Huntzberger – _the_ Shira Huntzberger, Home and Gardens' top ten Hartford Wives, Shira Huntzberger, _your_ mother - gave us crackers…."

He laughed, and shook his head as she continued her rant, "I mean, I softened her up, slammed her down,"

She mimicked little karate sounds, and continued, "But you, my friend, delivered the final blow!" She slammed her hand down on the cracker box, similar to the way a karate kid would to a concrete block.

Logan glanced down at the box, gently took it from her hands and tossed it on the back seat. He smirked at her, and nodded for her to continue.

She rolled her eyes, and shifted to look at him. "So, what _did_ you say to her? I'm dying to find out!" Logan kept his eyes firmly on the road, "Well, I _may_ have threatened to shut her out of our lives if she couldn't stop the bashing…"

"No!" Her eyes widened, "You didn't!" she squealed enthusiastically.

"Eh," he shrugged, "I'm sure your grandparents and my Dad talked to her…"

Rory shook her head wildly, though she knew that she, Logan and the baby were the hot topic back at the Huntzberger Mansion. Oh, well, she wouldn't let it bother her tonight – tonight was a celebratory evening!

"You're my hero!" she said in her 'star-struck teen' voice.

Logan shook his head and laughed at her antics. He was glad that she was happy; obviously, she was relieved they had told the Huntzbergers, and it seemed to push her thoughts away from her current state of unemployment. He listened to Rory recalling the night's events as he drove.

"And the look on Emily's face…." Rory suddenly stopped, and stared blankly at her husband, "why'd you stop?"

"Because we are here," he replied, in matter-of-fact tone.

She looked out the window, it was dark but she would recognize that driveway any day.

She let out a tiny squeal. "Thank-you!" she elated, kissed his cheek lightly and jumped out of the car, before he could say anything.

He watched her speed walk – Gilmores never run – up to the house and attempt to open the door – it was locked. He saw her throw her hands up, partly in frustration, partly in surprise. She bent over, looking for what he assumed to be a spare key. She found it, and used it to open the door. Before she walked in, she looked over her shoulder to make sure he was on his way.

He grinned at her, and motioned for her to go on in. His phone had been silenced throughout dinner, and he felt it vibrate a couple times during the drive down here. He did not want to pick up, but he knew it was probably his Dad, and seeing the cruel twist of fate that had Logan working for HPG it was important for him to stay on his father's good side.

"_Mate, Finnegan here. I seem to have a bit of a problem. I have met a sensational raven-haired species of the fairer sex. We've have a smashing time, and the sex, mate, is out-of-this-world. __However, I am a tiny bit concerned seeing she is not my typical redhead. In addition to this, I seem to be developing some sort of, well, I guess one would say "feelings"…. __Its' quite an odd sensation and I need to pick your brain, since you are the one who is currently wed. Late lunch Tuesday? Drinks on Thursday? Let me know!" _

Logan smiled inwardly listening to Finn's message. He would have to schedule something this week – letting his friend pass up a chance at love just because the girl has black hair….

"_Logan, it's your father. Hope your wi…Rory is feeling better. Next time we will make sure not to serve tiramisu.__Your mother and Emily are discussing some party details as we speak. Inform Rory that Emily will be in touch with her soon to go over whatever women go over when the plan these things. __Wednesday afternoon Richard and I have set up an appointment to discuss the financial impacts of your nuptials – properties, trust funds, stocks…. Your presence is required. Bring a copy of all your legal documents. My secretary will email you the exact location."_

Logan shook his head – he was _so_ not looking forward to discussing business with his father and grandfather in law. He knew he would be yelled at for not having a pre-nup, but he'd cross that bridge on Wednesday.

"_Logan, it's your father again. I find it important to keep business and my personal life separated. __Monday you start at Huntzberger Consultancy, however we will not make it public until March or April. We will have to keep it under wraps until then, if word gets out…. We will meet on Monday and I'll explain it all to you. Ten a.m. sharp – you know my office." _

He rolled his eyes. His Dad really lived in a dream world; how exactly was Mitchum planning to keep business and personal separated, he was his son for crying out loud – it doesn't get more personal than that. He was curious as to why his Dad wanted to keep his transfer a secret until April – wasn't his Dad pushing him to work for HPG?

"_Hi! It's Lizzie, from New York-Presbyterian, Rory Gilmore, now, Huntzberger called about an appointment. Anyway, I tried her phone but it went straight to voice mail. She left this as her other number. I was going to call back as soon as we had a date for an appointment. And, good news, we have an opening next week, Thursday at eleven, for your first sonogram. It'll be very exciting.  
Please let me know if the date works for you, otherwise we'll have to re-schedule! Bye! _

Logan smiled again, all his worries about Huntzberger Publishing vanished – next week they would finally see the baby! He quickly opened his organizer and scheduled in the appointment, some time for Finn and the meeting with Richard and Mitchum on Wednesday. He turned off the car and walked up to the house.

* * *

Logan walked in to the living room to find Rory and Lorelai on the couch laughing. Luke was walking in from the kitchen with a large tray of food – chips, pretzels, popcorn, m & m's, chocolate chips, and doughnuts.

"Logan, hey," Luke said as he placed the tray down, as Lorelai got up from the couch and rushed over to her son-in-law.

"It's the man of the hour!" She fell to his feet, mock kissing them, and dramatically continued, "I bow in the presence of greatness!"

Logan shook his head. Even though Lorelai was kidding, it was still a little embarrassing.

"It was nothing spectacular, Lorelai," he said modestly, extending his hand to help her up, "I said what needed to be said, I know how my mother responds to being shut-out."

"What a way to kill the mood, Huntzberger," Lorelai frowned, as she grabbed his hand and got up.

Logan smirked, as an image of the dented box of crackers flashed through his mind, and admitted, "But, you are right, it was kind of nice to beat the 'Bergers at their own game!"

Rory, Logan and Lorelai were talking about the night's events, re-enacting how they told the Gilmores and catching up in general. Luke joined them in the living room, flipping through the Stars Hollow Gazette, only occasionally participating in the conversation.

"So, are you guys going to spend the night?" Lorelai asked, grabbing a pretzel.

"We'd love to, but I don't think we can." Rory said, and smiled weakly remembering why they couldn't stay, "Some of us have to work tomorrow. Important first day at the chambers of hell and all…"

Logan smirked, and brushed her arm lightly, "It's not that bad, Ace…"

Rory just rolled her eyes. Lorelai knew that this situation was difficult for the overachieving daughter – it was so unlike Rory to sit home and do nothing. Lorelai was about to open her mouth, but Rory cut her to the chase.

"Mom, don't look at me like that! I was just joking – I am fine. I don't mind sitting home all day; did you know that at any given moment a re-run of Full House is on? I think I'm going to try to pin-point at exactly what stage the Olsen Twins stopped being cute, and started getting annoying…."

Lorelai shot her daughter a pointed look. "Are you sure? Did you wallow properly?"

"Yes!" Rory exclaimed.

"Did you stay in your pajamas for at least three consecutive days?"

Rory nodded.

"During these days did you watch an episode of Will & Grace or Friends?"

"Both! The one where Brad Pitt comes to Thanksgiving and the one where Will & Grace flip houses."

"Classics," Lorelai nodded approvingly.

"Did you watch a romantic comedy, an action thriller and Willy Wonka?"

"How to lose a guy in ten days, The Bourne Identity and duh!"

"Did you watch some hot TV-docs to make you feel better?"

Rory had to think about this one for a second. "I watched ER during my first day of wallow."

"Ooh! A young George Clooney – I approve!" Lorelai laughed and nodded her head.

"Nah, Doctor Carter is _way_ hotter!"

Lorelai shook her head in disagreement, but continued. 'I guess that covers the T.V. part of wallowing. Now, did you read a copy of In Touch, Us and People?"

"I had a Cosmo, Star and recently discovered Perez Hilton…"

"Eh, close enough," Lorelai, grinned as she continued with the wallow check-list.

"Books?"

"I read everything that was on my list – plus some of my favorites…"

"Music?"

"I will survive has been on repeat ever since…"

Lorelai nodded – her daughter really had done a hard-core wallowing session. She racked her brains, what else was needed?

'Food!" she exclaimed.

"I've been eating" Rory said dryly, she wanted to see how far her mother would take this little bit.

"I know _that_," her mother retorted. "I mean, have you been eating the proper types of food. Twizzlers, ice-cream, chocolates, pop-corn, Chinese, pizza…."

"Well," Rory laughed, "I am addicted to gossip as well as twizzlers." She looked down at her outfit for the evening, "that's sort of why I'm dressed like this…"

"Oh my God! I thought you got changed in the car!" Lorelai exclaimed, "You wore _that _to dinner and my mother didn't kill you?"

"She said I looked homeless," Rory deadpanned.

"Well!" Lorelai gasped, "We have to get you checked out soon – this baby is seriously impairing your fashion sense."

"Hey!" Rory exclaimed, taking mock-offense. "Like it's my fault my husband didn't make enough time to take me maternity clothes shopping!"

Lorelai and Logan glared at her disbelievingly. Rory blushed slightly, "Yeah, I realize that, uh, that doesn't make any sense." She tugged her sweatshirt lightly and whispered, "It's the baby – it makes me say things…"

"What the hell!" Luke suddenly exclaimed.

"Well, honey, it's nothing to get worked up about," Lorelai stated calmly, "lot's of pregnant women bring their husbands into totally irrelevant things, come to think about it, normal women do that to their significant others all the time…"

Logan and Rory exchanged amused looks.

"Look!" Luke tossed the paper at Lorelai, who shot Luke a 'you're crazy look'. She opened the paper, gasped, and immediately shut the paper and threw it on the floor.

"This is insane! Kirk cannot do this – he has no right. This… this…'

'Lorelai, calm down," Logan said. "What's wrong?"

Lorelai just pointed at the paper. Rory reached down, and opened the paper. She studied it for a minute or so, and silently handed it over to Logan, who studied it for a moment folded it silently and gently placed it on the coffee table.

"Uh, wow," he said, breaking the tense silence, "Do they do this to everyone…."

"NO!" Rory spat, "It's this stupid town getting back at me for leaving…" She turned towards Logan, "They wanted me to come home after the campaign trail."

He nodded understandingly, and asked, "But why this," as he opened the paper again, revealing the headline once again.

"**All Grown Up – **_**Not so little Rory Gilmore, secretly married and a baby on the way**_," she read out the headline, "By Kirk," she shook her head in disbelief.

Kirk had written a brutal piece about her. How that she once was the town sweetheart, but left Stars Hollow behind for the big city life, found a rich heir to marry, crushing her childhood love Dean Forrester.

"Mom!" Rory exclaimed frustrated, "Dean doesn't even live here anymore – he moved back to Chicago a year ago!"

"Look what Kirk wrote, "Late November, I spoke to Dean Forrester, Gilmore's childhood lover, at Doose's where he has been working since high school. "I am absolutely devastated, I always thought Rory would come to her senses and come back to me," he lets me know. Mr. Forester's feelings seem to convey the thoughts of the whole town.

"Even her mother is devastated," Rory, continued reading, she looked at her mother, "MOM!"

"Honey, I didn't say anything – I don't know what Kirk is talking about!" she pleaded. Rory looked down at the paper, and read,

""Kirk, I don't know, I haven't talked to her," she says sadly, as she runs about the Dragonfly Inn. Looks like Rory has even ditched her own mother! Alas, it seems now that Rory has gotten married to Logan Huntzberger – the newspaper heir – in a lavish secret ceremony and with a bun in the oven, there is no room in her heart for her small hometown."

Rory tossed the paper to the side, as her mother spoke up, "Yes, I did say that to Kirk, but he was babbling about something, I don't know…"

"It's okay, Mom," she sighed, "we need to fix this. I don't want them hating me, I want to still feel normal when I visit. It's still my hometown!" She felt her anger be replaced by regret, "Do you think our eloping really hurt them that bad?"

Lorelai shrugged, as Luke spoke up, "I don't know, Rory, they made you reenact your graduation…."

"What time is it?" Lorelai asked quickly formulating a plan, "Maybe we can make it to the supplement town meeting?"

Rory caught Logan's surprised look, so explained, "Wednesday is the first run of the town meeting, but normally that ends up in a fight or whatever. Anyway, Taylor always hosts a second town meeting on Sunday for those who weren't able to attend the first and to deal with the boring topics that we didn't discuss in the first meeting…." He laughed at the craziness of the town, as she continued, "My mom and I never attend Sunday meetings since they are notoriously boring!"

"But I think we can spice this one up," Lorelai grinned mischievously as they all made their way out the door.

* * *

"TAYLOR! KIRK!" Rory bellowed as she entered Miss Patty's, where the town meeting was in full swing.

"My, my, it's Rory," Kirk sneered. "What brings you here, Mrs. _Huntzberger" _Taylor asked, mimicking Kirk's tone.

"That article you wrote," she pointed her finger at Kirk and quickly made her way up to the podium.

"It's all a bunch of lies!"

"Now, Rory, don't overreact, I assure you Kirk did a lot of research and his facts check out, right Kirk?" Taylor said patronizingly.

"Ah, I highly doubt that, Taylor. Dean doesn't work at Doose's. Hell, he doesn't even live in Stars Hollow anymore! How does that check out, Taylor?"

Her voice grew louder with every word, at the end; she was standing with her arms firmly crossed over her chest, glaring at Taylor.

"Watch your language, young lady!" he warned, but Rory wasn't having any of it.

"_Taylor!_" she growled, and was now tapping her foot.

Lorelai leaned over and whispered in Luke's ear. "I'm so proud of my baby; she can put on quite a show…" Luke and Logan smirked, Rory sure could.

"Well, jeez, Rory, I don't know," Taylor mumbled. "But, you went off and celebrated, didn't even consider us in your plans…"

"Because it was OUR wedding. Rory and Logan, _not_ Rory, Logan and the town of Stars Hollow!"

She looked at the crowd, and they all looked upset. She sighed heavily and ran a hand through her hair, "Look, I understand that you wanted to be a part – you know, see me get married. But tell me, don't go printing _lies_."

She uncrossed her arms, and smiled weakly at Taylor – her way of saying that she wasn't mad anymore.

"Hm. Well. Yes. Okay." Taylor replied, taking it all in. "How can you make this up to us?"

_What?_ Rory thought, _Make this up to you - no, the town should make it up to me_!

"Reenact the wedding, hon," Babette yelled.

"No, town baby shower," Lulu countered.

"Excellent suggestions, ladies," Taylor exclaimed, 'I propose we do both…"

Rory stood there in silence, trying to process what he was saying as the town meeting erupted in a wave of clapping and cheering. It was too late – the Rory Gilmore Wedding Reenactment and the Rory Gilmore Baby Shower were official.

Taylor gently pushed Rory off stage, and opened his power-point presentation and started dividing tasks among the town folk.

* * *

"So close!" Rory exclaimed as she, Logan, Lorelai and Luke made it back to the house, "I was _this_ close," she shook her head.

"Shanghaied by Taylor, it happens to the best of us, kid,' Lorelai nodded solemnly. "Look, I'll plan most of the baby shower, I was planning one anyway. And Sookie will bake that amazing wedding cake for the reenactment – so there's your silver lining…"

"That was some good cake," Rory recalled, "but we just got married. Couldn't we show the town our wedding DVD? Like one glorious movie night and reenact the wedding when I can actually fit into my wedding dress again?" She cursed herself – she should have thought of this back at the town meeting.

"It's not me you have to bargain with, babe, but Taylor…" Lorelai sighed, "but I'll toss it up at the next meeting."

Once they reached the driveway they said their goodbyes, and soon Logan and Rory were back on the interstate heading back home to New York.


	23. Chapter 23

**Hi Guys!**

**Thank you all so much for the reviews! I LOVE reading them. Sorry this update took so long, but with all the travelling I really couldn't sit down and write.**

**I have a pretty good idea as how to finish this story (but your input is always taken into account!) so I'm hoping I can finish this story by the end of the summer w/ semi-regular updates. **

**Anyway, as you can remember Rory and Logan have told everyone about the pregnancy and their marriage. Rory is currently out of a job and Logan took an position at Huntzberger Publishing Group. This chapter deals with Logan's first day at HPG. **

**I hope you like it, it may be a little different - like always, let me know!!**

**Love,**

**GilmoreGirl19**

**Disclaimer: I don't own a thing**

* * *

Logan left the apartment Monday morning and headed towards the Huntzberger Offices. He half-expected Rory to get up with him, drink a cup of tea and munch on a pop-tart while reading out the headlines as he got ready for work, as per their new routine, though this morning she only stirred slightly when his alarm went off. He decided to let her sleep in, since she deserved it, but he could not help feeling a little bummed about it.

As he stood in front of the intimidating Huntzberger skyscraper, it finally dawned on him that this would be his new office building. He was excited to start the new job, though it was somewhat daunting to be back on his father's payroll. Mitchum seemed to be very keen on having his son rejoin the Group, though somewhere Logan doubted Mitchum's reasoning. Sure,

Mitchum said he needed Logan there because Travel Magazine was the most profitable on-liner and Logan obviously had some insight in the business, but now, actually being back in the Huntzberger Office Logan wasn't so sure.

Maybe Mitchum needed him there to keep up appearances. Or, maybe he was a welcome distraction to make some business transaction run smoother…

Either way, he knew the first few weeks would be difficult. He would have to convince his colleagues that he indeed was a talented writer and entrepreneur, and not 'just' the son of the boss.

Logan was early for his meeting with Mitchum, so he got some office-coffee and a jelly doughnut. The staff cafeteria was remarkably better than Travel Magazine's – here the coffee was fresh and there was a wide spread of breakfast snacks, definitely one of the perquisites of working for HPG.

He took his breakfast snack and sat down on the soft couch outside of Mitchum's office. He took out his phone and started scrolling through his organizer. Suddenly, he remembered Rory's appointment for Thursday. He had wanted to talk about it this morning…

"Mr. Huntzberger?" A soft female voice pulled him from his thoughts.

He looked around, before landing on the thirty-something secretary.

"Please, call me Logan – Mr. Huntzberger is my father…" He flashed his signature smirk.

The secretary nodded, "Mr. Huntzberger will see you now."

Logan quickly got up, threw back his last sip of coffee, straightened his tie and sighed deeply. It was now or never.

"Morning," Logan said chipper as he entered his father's office. He had never been here before, but it was as he imagined Mitchum's office to be, a large desk, large windows, lots of light and lots of leather.

"Take a seat," Mitchum gestured towards the pair of leather chairs opposite of him.

"Coffee?" he asked as soon his son sat down.

"Nah, I'm good," Logan said, silently urging his father to get down to business.

"You haven't forgotten our appointment for Wednesday?" Mitchum asked, though it was more a warning.

"No, sir,"

"Good, then down to business." Mitchum shot his son a pointed look, waiting for Logan to acknowledge that the time for exchanging pleasantries was over, and that it was now strictly business.

Logan nodded.

"Well, as you know you will form a part of the Huntzberger Consultancy Group. The first month or so you will work closely together with Milton Howards…"

"The current managing director who brought the Washington Post back from the dead?" Logan questioned.

"You've done your homework, son" Mitchum was impressed. "He is thinking about stepping down, and we need to groom his replacement. Howards and I think you might be the man for the job."

"Are you serious?"

"Like a heart attack; you are a fast learner and Milton won't step down until he feels you are completely ready."

Logan nodded as his father continued, "We will monitor you the next six weeks to determine if you are really cut out for the job. I intend on giving you this position, but I expect 110 percent commitment, no non-business lunch meetings, and no extended business trips for personal reasons…."

"Dad," Logan sighed as he shook his head, "I can't go on business, not with Rory being pregnant."

Mitchum glared at him, and instinctively Logan knew what the look meant. It was the infamous _do not screw this up _glare.

The young Huntzberger was hesitant, but hoped he could persuade his father to cut down on business trips for the time being. "Look, Dad, I know these trips are a big part of the job – essential even…" Mitchum nodded, "Go on,"

"But, initially you want the New York based publications to perform better – which means I will stay in New York for the duration of the pregnancy."

"I suppose," Mitchum agreed with his sons' reasoning.

"After that we can approach national and international travel and see how that ties in with future pregnancies…"

Mitchum raised his eyebrows, "More children?"

Logan shrugged sheepishly, "Uh. Yeah…" Mitchum nodded contently. To the outside world, he came off as a coldhearted man, but deep down inside he was not. The thought of having a bunch of grandchildren warmed his heart, though he would never publically admit this. It would ruin his carefully crafted business image.

That as it may be, Logan swore he could detect a twinkle in his father's eye at the mention of more children.

"I'll have the lawyers set up some type of travel contract _if_ you get the position," Mitchum said sternly, and continued, "I'm serious, and I need your complete and total commitment for the next six weeks. Make sure Rory understands that."

Logan bobbed his head semi-agreeing with his father. Sure, this job was major, but the baby and his wife were much more important.

"Other problems with the workload?" Mitchum asked with a sarcastic undertone.

"Just need to be home by six, Dad." Logan answered seriously.

"Well, then prepare to take some work home with you…"

"Not a problem." Logan smiled. Mitchum rolled his eyes slightly irritated. He understood that Logan wanted to involve his family; of course they needed to be considered. However, in Mitchum's time business came first no matter what. He would have given the world to eat dinner at six, or better yet, have his _own_ Dad be home for dinner every so often.

Mitchum sighed, "Questions so far?"

"Actually, yeah. Why so secretive, why keep this "under wraps" until April?"

"Then your six week trial is up. Rumors of Milton's departure have been causing uproars in the industry for the past three years – if there is, even so much as whisper he's leaving people tend to get very jumpy. No need for that, now."

"Why?"

"Old Howards is a legend. He's brutally honest, vicious but can turn out one damn good paper. He's assisted me in some of HPG's infamous acquisitions. Remember the San Fran debacle of '99?"

Logan nodded, sure he remembered. His Dad was on month-long business trips, only returning home for a weekend at a clip. His mother was a nervous wreck – they went through several maids a month during that time. Not exactly, what Logan called good times.

"Well, Milton really pulled through for us – all the credit goes to him, really. It was hell, but worth it. A year after the take-over The Chronicle had the highest circulation on the West Coast – still does…"

Logan nodded, "All I remember was that you practically moved out to San Francisco for that year and that there was a bunch of media coverage…."

Mitchum could detect a hint of worry in his sons' voice – Logan wouldn't been keen on all the media coverage a large acquisition would ensue, however that wasn't in the plans as of yet.

"It's part of the job, son," he stated matter-of-factly. After all, it was the truth.

"So," Logan sighed, pushing visions of tabloid headlines away, "what would we be working on?"

Mitchum grinned. At the end of the day, he knew his son wanted this consultancy position, and nothing would stop him from getting it. "Reorganizing Travel Magazine."

Logan nodded – it seemed like a good place to start. "Well, let's get started. Let's find out what Mr. Howards has planned for me."

The men got up from their desk-chairs and shook hands.

"Oh, let me just call Rory, quickly…" Logan said as he grabbed his cell phone. Mitchum shook his head, "Leave whatever message you have for her with your secretary – they get paid damn well for that."

"But…"

"Milton is waiting."

Logan sighed heavily. Right now, this was not an argument he needed to be having. Once he had secured the position, he would lay down some ground rules. "Right, okay – where is my secretary?"

Mitchum pointed at the office across the hall; there a petite twenty something redhead was sitting, headset in place, typing away. "Her name is Gabby."

"Why doesn't that surprise me," Logan laughed at the irony of her name and her profession.

He walked over to her desk, "Hi, I'm Logan,"

"I know, sir," Gabby smiled politely, "What can I do for you?"

"I was wondering if you could deliver these messages to my wife," he said as he quickly scribbled on a piece of scrap paper. "Her number is 943…"

"…8964… I know, it's my job," she smiled again as she took the notes from him. "I'll call her right away," she glanced down at the paper, "Congratulations and good luck on Thursday. My sister just had a baby…."

Logan smiled kindly – his secretary seemed to be very professional, and considerate. If Finn didn't make it work with the raven-haired beauty Gabby was a potential love interest. "Thanks," he said, and turned back towards his father, the long day of meetings awaited.

* * *

Rory awoke to the sound of a thunderclap and a flash of lightning. _Definitely, a pajama day_ she registered as she lazily rolled over to the right side of the bed. After a while, she opened her eyes only to be met by an empty space and a tremendous amount of disappointment.

She squinted to make out the letters on the alarm clock - 11:23. Rory sighed, of course Logan was long gone – he was at work. His first day at HPG and she did not even wake up to eat a pop-tart as he got ready. She thought about it that morning, as she heard his alarm clock buzz and the shower running, but her warm bed just felt so good… She did not mean to fall back to sleep.

She yawned, she would make it up to him. Maybe meet him for a late lunch… Yes, that would be perfect, she thought as she padded out into the living room to fix a breakfast snack before hopping under the shower and finding something – besides sweats – that she could actually fit in to.

All of a sudden, the sounds of The Kook's "Love It All" filled the room - her cell phone. She frantically ran back into the bedroom, where she hoped to find her pink lifeline on her nightstand.

"Hello," she picked up, slightly out-of-breath. She hoped Logan would keep his innuendos in check; she wanted him to act professionally at the workplace.

"Hi, this is Gabby over at HPG. Is this Rory Huntzberger?" A chipper voice inquired.

"Uh, hi… Gabby. This is Rory. Uh, who are you exactly?" Rory was caught off guard.

Gabby responded with a polite giggle, "I'm your husband's secretary. He left me with a few messages for you…"

"Oh," Rory inhaled sharply. Logan had not even been working for Huntzberger Publishing for two hours and already had his secretary calling her! She thought, for sure, that Logan would have a spare moment to call her….

She remained silent, so Gabby coughed to get Rory's attention again. "So, I'm going to give you those messages now, you might want to get a pen…"

"Oh, yeah, okay. Shoot." Rory was distracted, but she managed to dig up a pen and the Maybelline ad in her Cosmo would have to make do as a notepad.

"Okay, Mr. Huntzberger wanted to let you know that Wednesday he will be having a meeting with Richard Gilmore and Mitchum Huntzberger from two-thirty to five at the Plaza. You are expected here as well, though you will meet with Shira Huntzberger and Emily Gilmore."

Rory tried to comprehend the message, but it didn't make any sense. They had told the family – what more was there to discuss? "But…" she started to protest, but Gabby cut her off.

"I'm just the messenger. So, on Thursday you have an appointment for your first sonogram at 11 o'clock. Mr. Huntzberger just wanted to verify that you knew this…."

"Uh, I didn't – but I think I saw a little envelope thingy on my display, so it's probably on a message somewhere." Rory blinked – was this really happening. How did this secretary know before her? What else did she know?

"Was there anything else?"

"No, that's all. Are you okay, you sound a little distracted," Gabby asked. Rory could hear the sincerity in her voice.

"Uh, I was just…" she sighed, "It's just his first day. I didn't expect it to be so…_corporate_ the first day. I was hoping maybe he would call to schedule a lunch thing, you know…."

"Hm," Gabby nodded, "Honey, it's HPG – everything around here is corporate with a capital C. Don't count on the lunch – Mr. Huntzberger is in meetings all day."

Rory sighed; she could only imagine how busy Logan was today. Gabby sounded okay – considerate, honest, and professional. She could tell that this was the beginning of a wonderful phone relationship – though she hoped that this 'message from the secretary thing' was only temporary.

"Thanks, Gabby. Tell him I said hi if you see him." Rory tried her hardest to sound chipper.

"No problem," she chuckled and ended the call.

"_Well, a lunch date with Logan apparently was not an option today_," she thought as she fell back onto the bed.

"_I'm sorry I overslept this morning. Blame it on the baby, okay? _

_I wanted to meet you for lunch, but Gabby said you'd be in meetings all day….I'll help you unwind tonight ;) _

_Lasagna for dinner? Love ya!" _

She grinned as she typed the message; her little 'unwind' comment wouldn't be left unnoticed by her husband. She stayed folded out on the bed for a few minutes, waiting for Logan's usual prompt r-rated reply, but her phone remained silent. She flipped it open and closed, still no message. Finally, she sighed and chalked it up to his busy first day. She rolled over and grabbed her book from the nightstand. _No point in getting dressed anymore_, she thought as she fell into the pages.

* * *

"Milton Howards" A balding older man boomed as he stuck out his hand towards Logan.

Logan took in the man's appearance. The infamous Howards was overweight - a tight white stained dress shirt stretching over his enormous pot belly only highlighted that - he had thick, black brimmed square glasses, and a slight graying stubble. His office smelled like old coffee and stale doughnuts.

This man was the man behind all HPG's acquisitions, the single man the industry feared more than Mitchum Huntzberger, the man that could easily kill or bring back a paper with the click of a pen? Logan was seriously underwhelmed. He wasn't sure what he was expecting, but someone who looked scary. Maybe Milton Howards left his black cloak and scythe at home….

Logan suppressed the urge to comment on this - making a mental note to tell Rory later – she would find the Grim Reaper reference hilarious, and shook Milton's hand. "Logan Huntzberger."

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed, "Sit, sit down," he gestured towards the leather chairs in his office. His sloppy appearance and happy demeanor did not really match the impression Logan had.

"You okay, son?" Milton asked, as he handed Logan a doughnut from the box. "I know your father here probably made me out to be some industry superhero but I only pull out the spandex for serious corporate crap…" He paused and glanced over at Mitchum "I don't need to be Mr. Doom & Gloom _all _the time…"

Logan shook his head in slight disbelief – was that a direct dig at his father? He braced himself for his father's outburst but was surprised when his father started laughing. 'Focus Milton, focus."

"Oh, right! So, I'm sure you scared the living daylights out of the boy by telling him no lunch meetings with his wife and not to tack a couple of personal days on business trips…" Milton said, his cheerful mood slowly morphing into business mode.

"He put up quite a struggle – he doesn't want to travel when Rory is pregnant, but we'll set up some rules about that in his contract."

"As long as its all clear and the work gets done." Milton glanced at Logan. "Son, are you ready to work?"

Logan nodded, "Yes, definitely."

Howards opened his files and glanced over them quickly. "Good to hear, because it'll be a lot of hard work. Remodeling papers requires a lot of organization, meetings, planning, strategizing…I've seen what you were doing at Travel Magazine and you were definitely on the right track. I just want to be clear that you didn't get this opportunity as a handout, you are here because your father and I think you have what it takes."

Milton paused to let it all sink in.

"Now, it is important that you keep quiet the first six weeks…"

"Because news of your stepping down will cause an industry uproar…" Logan supplied, but he was cut off by loud laughter.

"Is that what your old man told you? My stepping down will indeed one day cause an industry uproar, but that day is not in six weeks."

Logan looked confused, so Milton clarified. "HPG is planning to monopolize the on-line market. There are too many little fishes out there and we are hungry….if you catch my drift. We need to keep it as quite as possible, it'll take away the element of surprise…"

"But, I don't understand, on-liners are folding left and right – why acquire them now? I mean Old York was number 76 on the list, and it went bankrupt…"

"The market is changing. We need to be on-line. We are the best in papers, it's only natural we become the best in the on-line market," Milton explained. "As for "Old York…"

Mitchum and Milton exchanged loaded looks. "We made sure of that," he stated seriously,

"If you don't want to play on our team then you don't play at all." His eyes changed to a darker shade of blue and Logan knew that this man was all that his father described him to be, first impressions be damned.

Mitchum caught the look in his son's eyes. "Logan, I know you are thinking about Rory, but this is business. She couldn't help her dumbass editor didn't know a good business deal when he saw one…"

Milton laughed, "I know. That'll teach him to call our offer like selling your soul to the devil. What a coincidence those creditors showed up the very next day…"

Mitchum laughed, "Bankruptcy is a bitch."

Logan sat there in awe listening to the two men laugh about ruining a perfectly good magazine just because it did not want to 'play'. Even if it hadn't been his wife's job this nonchalant banter worried him. How did these guys sleep at night?

What would he tell Rory? She would go through the roof if she found out that Mitchum had a hand in her being laid off…

"So, we'll get you started with setting up a strategy – global outline - for Travel Magazine. We've got about six weeks to come up with a plan, I'll guide you, but you will be in the front seat. Read these – and meet me tomorrow at ten, and tell me what you think we should do."

Milton handed him four large binders. The first one was all the information on Travel Magazine, the others were previous acquisition reports – the success stories. He blinked at the size and weight of the binders. He hadn't really been listening to Milton being caught up in his own thoughts about how HPG did business, but he didn't have time to dwell on it. He wanted this job and needed to impress not one, but two crazy balding guys.

Logan spent the rest of the day in his office reading the binders and taking notes. Time seriously got away from him. He hadn't realized it was 5.45 p.m. when Gabby's voice filled the room telling him Mitchum said it was time to call it a day. He sighed, he only finished three of the four documents. He would have to take that last one home.

He put on his coat, grabbed his briefcase and made his way on to the rainy streets of New York City.

"Hey," he called out as he entered the apartment, but his welcoming was met by silence. He walked into the bedroom to find Rory under the covers, holding her paperback tightly.

He smiled and changed into a pair of sweats, bringing his briefcase to the office, and grabbing a soda before returning to the bedroom and kneeling down next to the bed.

"Rory," he whispered

"No," she mumbled in her sleep.

"Ace, I'm home," he tried again.

"I'm not" she said sleepily.

He laughed, and said, "But I've got Dr. Pepper…"

She remained silent, but as soon as he popped the top, she sat up straight. "Why didn't you say that?"

"The doctor will see you now," he said as he leaned in for a kiss and handed her the soda.

"One might say that sounds a little dirty…" she smiled and returned the kiss.

"I wouldn't know…" he laughed and took back the soda and took a sip.

"Hey," she exclaimed mock offended, "If Logan Huntzberger doesn't know dirty, he should really check his phone once in a while…" she crossed her arms over her chest and teasingly glared at him.

Quickly, he reached for his phone, flipped it open and noticed the tiny envelope in the corner. He read it and smiled, frowned and smiled again weakly.

She caught his look. "Hey, it's okay. I know you were busy today, we all can't have the luxury to sleep in and stay in bed _all_ day."

"You stayed in bed _all_ day?" he asked incredulously. "Ace, we've _got _to get you a hobby or something!"

"Hm," she nodded, "maybe." What she wanted was her job back, or, better yet, have Logan home so they could stay in bed all day _together_. She was being unrealistic and childish. She was happy for her husband, but she couldn't help feel jealous, too. She hoped it would get better over time.

She knew Logan would want to talk about it – but she did not. Instead, she laughed, took back the soda and declared, "I'm hungry. Let's get pizza!"


	24. Chapter 24

**Hello, my crazy, wonderful, patient, loyal readers and reviewers!  
****It seems like FOREVER since I updated, but summers' out there and the beach has been calling my name. I hope summers been good to you, too!  
Anyway, a wave of inspiration washed over me (see my new story: the not so simple life) and sort of inspired me to get my rear and gear and update this.  
I have to admit, I was kind of looking for a way to wrap this story up, in a way that will do it justice. This story is my first fic and orginally I only plannend five or six chapters, so to have seen it develop like this is unreal to me. So, thanks gusy for reading and reviewing. I've got it pretty much plotted out until the end - but it's a little ways off yet, so relax. **

**Like always, let me know what you think of this new chapter! Hope is doens't dissapoint!**

**With love,**

**Gilmoregirl19**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderfulness that is Gilmore Girls.**

The next morning Rory did manage to get up with her husband, eat a pop tart, read the paper and kiss him goodbye before he was off to work. Their morning ritual was pleasant, though Rory could tell Logan was worried about her. She knew he wanted to talk about her recent behavior, sleeping late and lounging around all day was not like her.

For sure, he thought, that she would be out in the City taking in a show or museum or doing some shopping. Of course, Rory had wanted to do all those things, but she just could not bring herself to it. She blamed a lot of it on the pregnancy, but truthfully, she was still trying to process how her life had changed so much in a little over four months. She was just getting used to the idea of being married and pregnant, but now that Logan was back at HPG, it changed everything. She knew Mitchum would have some control over their relationship and she knew he would want her to stay home, since that was the proper society way.

She stared into her tea mug. It seemed almost too convenient that Logan was back at HPG the day Old York permanently shut its doors. She couldn't prove anything, but her gut told her something was up, though telling Logan this would make her seem jealous. And, honestly, she was, so for now it was just easier for her to smile and pretend to be happy for her husband.

Throw the meeting with Emily and Shira into the mix and it seemed like she was being groomed for the perfect society wife. Was she now destined to hire a housekeeper and attend DAR meetings? Rory didn't have an answer so, right now, it was easier to stay in bed, pull the covers over her head and pretend none of it was happening.

She glanced up at the kitchen clock – 10.15 a.m. She had been sitting at the breakfast bar for over two hours thinking about her life, and on the short term: wondering what to do today, when her cell phone rang.

"Hey," she answered flatly without looking at the display.

"Is that how you answer your mother?" Lorelai exclaimed using her "Emily" voice.

Rory chuckled softly, "I'm sorry…it's just…"

"My bound-to-be gorgeous grandchild giving you the baby blues?"

Rory was going to copout and be done with it, but suddenly she became frustrated with the situation. If she couldn't tell her own mother what was on her mind…

"No, actually the baby is fine. I have an appointment Thursday…" Rory exasperated.

"Oh, uh, okay," Lorelai answered, slightly taken aback.

Rory sighed heavily. "I'm sorry, Mom, it's just I was thinking about the way I found out."

"The receptionist chick was a either a) a real bitch, b) forgot to call you, c)called you sir or, d) all of the above?"

"No, Logan's secretary called me!" Rory spat, not even paying attention at her mother's attempt to be funny.

It stayed quiet on the other side, as Lorelai tried to process what her daughter had just told her. Finally, Lorelai spoke, "But what was his secretary doing at the doctor's office? Wait – since when does Logan have a secretary?"

"Mom!" Rory yelled, before rambling off the explanation, "The doctor left a message on the machine, but Logan had his new secretary call me to so I would not forget. Apparently, it's HPG policy for _secretaries _to call significant others…"

"Ouch! So, what did he have to say for himself?"

"Nothing…I mean, I didn't bring it up last night, since it was his first day and everything. Besides, I wasn't exactly running for the best wife prize yesterday – I overslept and didn't eat a pop-tart with him in the morning…"

"So, you haven't talked about it?" Lorelai asked.

"Well, no, we had dinner together but he still needed to do some work. I went to bed at eleven and he was still at it…"

"Honey," Lorelai warned softly, "you have to talk to him…."

"Thank you Dr. Phil," Rory said sarcastically, but she did take in her mother's words. "I know, Mom. I just want to give him some time to adjust to working for the devil."

Lorelai nodded in agreement, but realized that her daughter could not see that over the phone.

"Sounds reasonable, so what else is bugging you?"

"What do you mean?"

"Sweets, that snap that prompted this conversation was heated enough to burn down the town. There is more! There _has _to be!"

Rory smiled and rolled her eyes. Her mother knew her so well. "I guess, yeah."

"So, tell Mommy," Lorelai coaxed.

"Well, Logan is now working for Huntzberger Publishing Group," she started hesitantly, "and, as you know, that belongs to Mitchum, Logan's father and my father in law."

"I'm well aware of the Huntzberger family tree, babe,"

"Well, the day "Old York" died Logan was hired by Mitchum himself. I don't know, Mom, it just seems off…"

"So you think Mitchum had a hand in Old York going bankrupt? Based on what exactly?"

Was that anger in Lorelai's voice? Rory could not really tell. Her mom talked so fast!

"A gut feeling…" Rory winced as she admitted that. Maybe she was just being crazy.

"Could very well be, babe, Mitchum is wacko!" Lorelai shrugged, "Talk to Logan about it!" she suggested.

"Mom, I can't. He is happy about this job and I, uh, don't want to come off like a jealous wife…"

"Rory," Lorelai said seriously, "stop kidding yourself, you are jealous and you have every right to be. You are not Rory Gilmore – the stay-at-home-eating-bon-bons-living-off-my-husbands-pay-check girl. You are Rory Gilmore – work-my-ass-off-and-I'll-buy-that-extra-choco-mocha-latte-with-the-extra-shot-of-espresso-myself-girl. Logan knows that, and he gets that. Hell, that's why he loves you, crazy!"

Both Gilmore girls remained quiet, letting Lorelai's words sink in. It was Lorelai who finally put an end to the silence.

"Just talk to him, okay, kid?"

Rory knew Lorelai was right. She would talk to Logan tonight.

"Thanks, Mom."

"No problem, kid, that's what I'm here for. So, hey, I actually called to inform you on the Taylor situation…"

"Taylor situation?" Rory asked incredulously.

"The wedding re-enactment for the charming town of Stars Hollow?" Lorelai winced – she had not really wanted to bring it up, but it was unavoidable.

"Oh, that," Rory said flatly, remembering how she had gotten herself into that.

"Yes, well, Taylor now has everything I used to plan the wedding and he and Ms. Patty are picking a date. They are going to let me know next week some time….I'm sorry kid." Lorelai smiled apologetically.

"Ah, no problem, Mom. That was my own fault anyway…"

Rory and Lorelai laughed, and chitchatted for a while about the Serena/Dan real-life hook-up, how long it would last and if Blake Lively had a higher risk of going to jail since Amy Winehouses husband, – a Blake – was in jail. Rory hung laughing at the total randomness of the conversation.

She glanced up at the clock once again, now it was 12.15 and she was starving. She got off the breakfast barstool and decided to make a hot pocket for lunch.

As she took her hot snack, back to the couch she decided that today would be her last day indulging in self-pity and that tomorrow she would actually get dressed and go out. She would have to seeing, as that is when she had her lunch with Shira and Emily. Rory settled in, switched on the T.V., just in time for the _True Hollywood Story_ Marathon.

Rory didn't get to talk to Logan that night. He called her around 7.30 p.m. and explained that he needed to work late. She was disappointed, but understanding. She would talk to him as soon as his work situation quieted down, and secretly she hoped, by that time all of her jealous feelings would be gone.

* * *

Rory was waiting in the lobby of her apartment, waiting for Logan to pick her up and drive to Hartford for the dreaded meeting. She was wearing her "dressiest" sweats, since none of her, other clothes fit. She wanted to buy maternity wear, but at the same time, she wanted to go shopping with her husband, since it would be a great way for them to spend some much-needed time together.

Logan arrived about ten minutes late, and immediately started apologizing, "Ace, I'm sorry I'm late, I just needed to sign off on some papers and brush my teeth…"

"You what now?" she asked as she fastened the seatbelt.

"Sign off on some papers and brush my teeth," he responded slowly, unsure if she had misunderstood him or if this was some kind of twisted pregnancy anger for being late.

But, in line with her newfound vow of not being jealous, or sulky she just smiled at him and leaned in for a kiss.

"You are silly," she grinned and placed another kiss on his lips. Suddenly, she pulled back horrified and yelled, "Oh my god, you had coffee. _Coffee!" _

Logan swallowed hard, since he hadn't expected her to find out. He had been drinking coffee at word on a regular basis, he definitely needed it to stay awake and it was good coffee...

"I'm sorry," he apologized, "I thought, you know, …" but he didn't get a chance to explain.

"You cheated on me, your wife, with coffee. And thought you could get away with it by brushing your teeth," she glared at him, indicating that it was his turn to talk.

"I'm sorry, Ace. I know you miss it, but hey, at least it's not making you sick anymore," he offered as a half apology, half pep talk.

She looked at him; he looked cute when he was sorry. A small smile played on her lips, realizing how much she missed this - she missed him. Just being together. It was the most fun she had in days.

"Well, was it good, was it worth it?" she bit her bottom lip coyly, and he knew that her anger had faded. He leaned in closer, to whisper in her ear, "Not as good as Luke's."

And, at this point, she cracked up laughing, kissed him again before they drove off to Connecticut.

* * *

"Logan, Rory,"

Shira's shrill voice was the first thing the couple heard as they entered the Club. Logan's mother made her way over to them, and dramatically placed a kiss on Rory's cheek, "Lovely to see you, dear!"

Rory forced a smile, while she simultaneously squeezed Logan's hand in growing anger. The last time they had seen each other was at the 'grand revelation' dinner, where Shira had implied that Rory was some sort of nasty gold digger. So, suffice to say, Shira Huntzberger was not Rory's favorite person.

"Your father and Richard are waiting for you on the green, Logan," Shira told Logan, as she snaked her bony, Atkins-diet maintained arm around Rory's shoulders, and led her towards the tearoom.

Rory glanced back at Logan, who stood there dumbfounded and mouthed, "help." He shot her an apologetic smile, and help up two fingers – to remind her that it was only two hours. Yes, yes, only two hours. The two longest hours of her life!

* * *

The relief Rory felt as Logan placed his hand on her shoulder was indescribable. "You ladies enjoy your lunch?" he asked in a way he was sure to win over both his mother and grandmother in law.

"We've discussed enough for now," Emily smiled widely towards Logan – he was such a catch. "Though, we aren't quiet finished, so lunch next week, Rory dear?" However, Rory knew that it was not exactly a question, more a command.

"That'll be wonderful," Rory said, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "I can't wait."

Logan shook his head slightly - she must have had a really bad time at lunch. "Well, we'll see you next week, then. The men and I have a little golf issue to sort out," he winked, causing the elderly women to chuckle.

"Goodbye, dear," Shira said, as she, Emily and Rory got up, "Lovely seeing you."

After one last goodbye, the young Huntzbergers made their way back to the car.

"Your mom is _so _weird," Rory stated as she waited for Logan to unlock the passenger's side door.

"Why?"

"She's got this whole perfect mother-in-law role down pat. But, I know it's a façade. I mean, it's obvious the woman hates me!" Rory clearly needed to vent, as she spoke faster than her normal rate and gesticulated wildly.

"I thought we were good, you know, with the saltines and all," Logan tried to nip the rant in the bud, but it was no use.

"Please. Did you hear the way she called me dear?" Rory mimicked Shira's tone, "_dear". "_Ugh. So fake."

"You have to let it go, that's just the way my mother is…"

Rory angrily tapped her nails on the middle console. Logan looked down at the angry tapping, and shifted his gaze to her face. Slightly narrowed eyes, furrowed brow, tiny pout. It was obvious that she was pissed.

"So, lunch was no good at all?"

"Oh, it was fantastic," she said sarcastically, "Yellow-green is the new blue and lavender is the new pink, but seeing as we are bad parents since we don't know the sex of our child yet we have to go with pastel orange because it's the new unisex color. Just for the record – I don't like orange."

"And, I don't think we are bad parents," Logan smirked.

"Oh, it gets worse, mister!" Rory yelled.

"Impossible!" Logan raised his voice, to match Rory's, to humor her.

"How does Hamlin Harper Huntzberger or Hélosie Harper Huntzberger sound to you?"

"For what exactly?" Logan inquired, hoping that Rory wasn't planning to name their child that.

"Our baby's name. Hamlin for a boy, of course, and Héloise for a girl…"

"You're kidding right?" His face fell.

"No, no, I'm not. Alliteration is the number one trend in baby naming right now. Why Haper you ask? Because it was Nichole Richie's _second _choice for her baby name. She chose Harlow instead. How Grandma know this? She called up that freakin' doctor she left a message about!"

"So, what did you say?" He asked, feeling a tad silly thinking that Rory would actually _like _the name Hamlin.

"That we previously decided to name the baby Scotch Latté after our favorite drinks…"

"Rory,…"he warned.

"That their input was greatly appreciated." She sighed in reply, rolling her eyes.

A silence fell over the car, as the pair digested the fact that somewhere Emily and Shira were serious about those two ridiculous names.

"Well, my golf game with Mitchum and Richard wasn't so bad…" Logan said, as he pulled onto the turnpike, and veering the conversation away from baby names.

Rory raised her eyebrows, "Seriously?"

"Yeah, we played a little golf, talked a little business, talked a little family."

"Like what?" She was curious.

"They bought the baby a piece of land in Hartford, as an investment. And they want to set up a trust fund for it, but I told them I had to run it by you first…."

"Oh, wow. Uh, yeah, that sounds good. That's really nice of them." Rory said, somewhat shocked. She paused for a moment, wanting to talk about something else, but couldn't help herself.

"So, seriously no relationship bashing, or Logan bashing or bashing of any kind?"

"Nope" Logan answered happily, "It was a unique experience for me too, but my Dad's been really mellow, now that I'm working there."

"Well, at least the guys are on our side" Rory said, anger rising in her voice again, "Emily and Shira are not. They seriously asked me to join the DAR again. They are out of their mind, right?"

"She means well, Ace," Logan shrugged, "Seems like a good idea, it's something to do, right?"

"_Logan!_"

"What? Didn't you do it in college?" He really did not see what the big deal was.

"I did 360 hours of community service, too. Doesn't mean I'm lining up for that!" she shot Logan a pointed look.

He sighed heavily. "I didn't say you had to do it. I just thought, you know, that it would take your mind off of Old York."

"So, I can't ever think about Old York, my old job anymore," she spat, " I'm just supposed to drink tea at the club and decide if we need 80 or 100 shrimp cocktails for the upcoming luncheon."

"No, I didn't mean it like that," he breathed in sharply, " I just… I don't know, you seem so mope-y lately…"

"Yeah, I'm pregnant. It's what happens," she bit back.

"Okay." He said with a short nod, signaling that this conversation was over.

"Okay." She nodded back.

They drove the rest of the way in silence, each wrapped up in their own thoughts about their relationship, jobs – or lack thereof, and the impending parenthood.

* * *

_PS: If your name happens to be Hamlin, Harper or Heloise - sorry! (Don't forget to review!)_


	25. Chapter 25

**Hi!  
Yay! An update! I am VERY excited about this story again, but I'm really busy with my internship and what not, so updates will still be sporadic...sorry!!  
I'm eager to find out what you all think of this story, so don't forget to REVIEW. And how excited are you guys that the new tv season has started? Okay, no gilmore girls anymore, but I am loving Gossip Girl!! Yay!Oh, and in this chapter Rory has her sonogram, so let me know if you want to find out the sex of the baby - I can incorporate that. Happy Reading!**

Love,  
Gilmoregirl19

Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls!  
PS: a little plug for my other story: the not so simple life. Ch-ch-check it out!

* * *

Rory and Logan entered their apartment in silence. It was definitely awkward, since there was seldom silence between them, and they rarely fought.

"So, uh…" Logan tried to break the ice.

"Yeah," Rory yawned, "I think I'm just going to bed…" She smartly stepped away from him and headed towards the bedroom.

"Okay," Logan sighed defeated.

She stopped, looked over her shoulder, at him and determined that he looked sad, _cute_, but sad. And, she hated seeing him like that. She couldn't be mad at him; it wasn't his fault that Emily and Shira were wackjobs and since she had stopped talking to him; how could he fix it if he did not know what was going on?

She slowly walked back towards him, threw her arms around his neck, and placed a gentle kiss on his lips. "Okay," she said softly, and shot him a small smile that said, "I'm sorry."

"Go to bed," he kissed her forehead lightly, "I'll be in soon."

Rory decided to wait until he got to bed to open up and discuss her feelings of jealously, and insecurities about her job loss, his new job, Mitchum's role in that and her impending motherhood. Unfortunately, after about twenty minutes she heard his cell ring and that could only mean one thing: Mitchum. She sighed heavily as she pulled up the covers and waited for sleep to come. Sure enough, it was well past midnight when Logan finally came to bed.

* * *

"Morning," she yawned groggily as she padded her way over to the kitchen. Absentmindedly she reached for the coffeepot.

"What are you doing?" Logan asked concerned.

"Getting coffee," Rory stated the obvious, "Want some?"

"No," he said firmly, "And you know you can't have that, even though it's stopped making you sick! Your are pregnant!"

"Oh yeah," she mumbled and placed the empty coffeepot back as he handed her some juice and a doughnut, and waited for her to wake up.

A few minutes later she was wide awake and talking about the doughnut, "Thanks for going out and getting these! They are awesome!"

"No problem," Logan smirked as he packed his briefcase.

"Hey," Rory said suddenly, "Did I try to make coffee this morning?"

"Yeah," Logan smiled, "I stopped you though,"

"Gah," she bawled her fist in mock-frustration. "Five and a half more months….."

"We'll make it," he nodded encouragingly.

"We?"she asked incredulously. "You've been sneaking coffee at work – don't think I don't know," she teased him playfully.

"Alright, I confess," he yelled as he threw his hands up dramatically.

Rory laughed, though her laughter quickly faded as she realized he needed to go to work. "So, big day at the office?" she inquired.

"Yeah, Dad called last night…" he started off enthusiastically, but Rory interrupted with an icy "I know," paired with a pointed look.

"I'm sorry," he was quick to apologize, "I hope you didn't wait up,"

"Nope," she lied, though her cold tone remained unnoticed by her husband.

"Oh, good since Mitchum, Milton and I were in a conference call until late…." She smiled wryly as she listened to his story about how they were planning to makeover some online magazine, and something about a meeting on Thursday.

This caught her attention.

"This Thursday?"

"Yeah, why?" Logan asked, as he shoved his laptop into its case.

"Uh, the sonogram?" she said

"Oh, shit!" Logan exclaimed as he set down his laptop case. "I… I don't know how I could forget!'

"Uh, well," Rory stuttered in disbelief, "I..I guess I could go alone…"

"No, no, I'll juggle some things in my schedule," he said hastily.

"I'll be there – I promise!" He quickly whipped out his sidekick, and pressed a few buttons, "Okay, I definitely won't forget now," he assured her. Then, he swung his laptop bag over his shoulder, grabbed his briefcase, placed a gentle kiss on her cheek and headed for the door.

"Don't worry, Ace, I've got it covered! Have fun today!" And, with that, he was out the door.

Rory stared down at her empty glass, baffled. How exactly can one forget ones first child's sonogram? She didn't know, and she definitely didn't like the fact that her husband forget. She still had not been able to talk to him about her feelings, and this was just another point on the con list, another Mitchum affiliated irritation.

Absentmindedly she picked up the phone and dialed her mother's number.

"Dragonfly Inn, rated 3rd best small Inn in the US according to Travel Magazine. Michel speaking, how may I help you this fine, fine morning?"

"Wow," Rory smiled, "That's some introduction – Mom makes you say that?"

"Shoot me," Michel deadpanned.

"Oh, Michel," she sighed, "Mom's just proud – next week you'll be back to your same old boring greeting, enjoy it while you can…"

"Pregnant women are so annoying," Micheal said in his heavily accented tone. "Here is your mother now. Goodbye."

"Hey Sweets, what's up?" Lorelai's chipper voice said through the phone.

"Logan forgot our sonogram appointment!" Rory practically screamed.

"What do you mean, forgot?" Lorelai asked back, not totally understanding what was happening, "I thought it wasn't until Thursday?"

"It is, but he scheduled something for something and now he has to quote juggle some things in his schedule unquote to fit me, the baby and the appointment in!"

"Something for something, huh," Lorelai laughed at her daughters explanation.

"Mom!"

"I'm sorry, honey." Lorelai apologized, and got serious, "I don't know what to say! I thought you talked?"

"I know, I wanted to…" she paused, "Grandma's lunch thing was really bad, but Logan's golf game with Grandpa and the devil was apparently really good…. "

"So what happened?"

"Well, Grandma wanted me to rejoin the DAR since I'm, you know, unemployed. And Logan thought it was a good idea since - due to a mental instability- I joined in college! I added the part about mental instability – he thinks I was totally sane"

"I know, you are not a DAR chick. So…." Lorelai waited for her daughter to continue.

"I said I also did 360 hours of community service in college – and I wasn't about to do that again, either!" She exasperated.

"I would hope not! Geez, your pregnant, you don't want to have criminals influence your unborn love child!" Lorelai joked again.

"Hey, not everyone that does community service is a criminal!" Rory retorted.

"Well, kid, you did steal a yacht!" Lorelai said with a grin.

"Okay, I did," she relented, "but back to the point. Logan and I fought!"

"So, did you make up? No naked details please!"

"Mom!" Rory exclaimed, but continued anyway, "Well, last night I felt bad, so I wanted to talk to him about it before we went to bed, but then Mitchum called and he was up talking until late….I fell asleep and then this morning he goes and forgets our damn appointment!"

"Ah, honey. I'm sorry!" Lorelai said sympathetically.

"Yeah, me too."

It remained silent as the Gilmore girls each privately analyzed the situation.

"Mom…" There was a hint of desperation in Rory's tone.

"I know, kid. But look, he's just started this new job and everything. He's not as organized as you…. Just, just give him the benefit of the doubt. You both have to adjust to the situation."

"I know," Rory sighed.

"And talk to him tonight, okay?" Lorelai pressed.

"I will," the Gilmore daughter remained silent, waiting for another piece of motherly advice, instead she got,

"And, if he doesn't show up to that appointment, I'll kick his ass!"

"Thanks, Mom...oh, by the way," Rory asked, "What's up with the wedding re-enactment?"

"Oh yes," Lorelai said excitedly, "Taylor called it off!"

"What?" Rory was elated, "What? Why? How?"

"Well," Lorelai explained slowly, dragging out the suspense, "I went over there with the wedding book, and all the research Logan and I did for your wedding. You know, the castle, the dress, the jewelry, the food…."

"Yeah?"

"And, Taylor looked at the costs…"

"Yeah?"

"And he decided that we could trim a few things…"

"But?"

"I said it would be unethical. I mean, what kind of a re-enactment would it be if it wasn't exactly re-renacted?"

"Good point."

"I know!" Lorelai laughed, "So, then he decided it would be much too expensive and he called it off!"

"Seriously?"

"Seriously, McDaughter, Seriously!"

"We've got to stop watching Greys' Anatomy on Lifetime!" Rory laughed.

"But, Mc007 did the McNasty with the McIzzie and cheated on his McRumored-to-be-lesbian-in-the-new-season-wife!"

"Mom" Rory rolled her eyes.

"It's a joke, kid!" Lorelai said sarcastically, "Lighten up!"

That caused a heartfelt laugh from Rory and she and her mother hung up laughing.

Staying true to her vow of 'no-more lazy days', Rory jumped in the shower, slipped on her sweats, since she and Logan still needed to go maternity clothes shopping and decided to hit the Met.

'_Got some lasagna for dinner from Pasta Palooza for dinner!' _

Rory hit send on the text to her husband, tossed her phone on the side table and turned on the TV. She was exhausted, she spent a good part of the morning at the Met, then she decided to walk in the Park, eat some ice-cream and run some errands since she hadn't done any shopping in as long as she could remember. The lasagna smelled delicious and she had mastered making cheesy garlic bread. It would be the perfect meal to talk to Logan.

Her phone lit up, indicating a text message.

"_Ace, better start without me. Sorry, but I'm in a meeting until 7.30…. I'll make it up to you, Willy Wonka tonight?"_

Frustrated, she snapped her phone closed without responding to his text. She had a good day, and didn't want to let this get her down. She focused all of her attention on the television and surfed the channels until she found 'Dodgeball.' It was perfect, hilarious and a plot so thin it was see-through. She quickly popped some popcorn and filled a bowl with m&m's and settled in.

* * *

The next morning she awoke in her bed, though she had no recollection of actually getting there. As she padded over to the bathroom, she vaguely remembered Logan waking her up and putting her in bed.

"Morning," she mumbled as she took the glass of juice he was holding out for her, "Thanks."

"No problem," he said, and as soon as he knew she was fully awake he apologized for missing out on dinner again.

"Don't worry about it," she swallowed. _He should worry about it_! Her heart was saying, but she didn't want to get into the whole mess now.

"The doctor's appointment is at eleven, I have a meeting until 10:45, but the office is close so I should make it. But you'll have to order a car, or get a cab to the hospital…"

"That's fine," Rory said honestly, at this point she was glad he was not trying to back out. "See you there," and kissed him lightly before he was out the door.

* * *

"Rory Huntzberger," the middle-aged nurse read from her chart, "Mrs. Huntzberger?"

"That's me," Rory said from her white plastic seat in the OBGYN's waiting area. "Uh, my husband isn't here yet…."

"Honey," the nurse said in a thick New York accent, "Your appointment was scheduled at 11 – it's quarter to twelve now! Now, I can't help that we are running late this morning, but I'm not holding it up any longer for your husband – I don't care _what _your last name is. If he can't get his sorry ass here on time, well…."

Rory stared angrily at the nurse and opened her mouth to say something, defend Logan, but the nurse beat her to it. "I'm sorry, honey. I'm going through a tough time – found out my husband was cheating on me with some hussy in Brooklyn…"she threw her hands up in frustration.

"Ouch," Rory said sympathetically, "I'm sorry."

"Men!"The nurse cried bitterly as she lead Rory to the examination room door, "I'll send your man through when he shows up."

"If," Rory mumbled under her breath, as the nurse shut the door behind her.

* * *

"There's the heartbeat," Doctor Malone pointed out on the tiny screen. "There your baby's head, and there are it's feet…"

'Oh, wow,' Rory kept her gaze fixed on the screen; mesmerized. She was looking at her baby, a living creature that was inside her. She really was overcome with emotion.

"So…" the doctor sighed.

"What?" Rory asked, suddenly concerned. "Is everything okay? It's got to be okay, right?"

Malone smiled sincerely, "Everything is perfect…I just wanted to know if you want to know the sex of your baby…."

"Oh," Rory blushed, slightly embarrassed by her tiny outburst. "Well, my husband and I haven't really talked about it…"

"Well, I can tell you know if you want to know. Your husband won't know what you don't tell him," he winked.

"I hear what you're saying," Rory laughed. "Actually, I would like to know…"

* * *

Rory stood on the streets of New York, trying to catch a cab. She should have been angry with Logan, but she had been on cloud nine ever since she heard her baby's heartbeat. That all changed though when she spotted a blond haired man running down the sidewalk: Logan.

"Ace," he panted, "I'm…so…sorry! I …."

"Save it, Logan," she spat, "I just knew you wouldn't be here on time! And the kicker is – the appointment ran 45 minutes late!"

"I know, I know," he tried to explain, "but the meeting…."

"Sure," she said sarcastically, "The meeting. I get it. That is more important than your wife and your child. That's fine."

"_Ace!_" Logan was appalled by her insinuation.

"What?" she asked innocently and looked at him. "Isn't that the truth?" She didn't wait for his reply, and whipped her head towards the busy street, "Taxi!"

"Rory, seriously now…"

'I don't want to hear it.' She stated simply, as she opened the cab door and got in. "I'll see you whenever." And with that she shut the cab door and sped off to god knows where, leaving a terribly guilty Logan behind.

* * *

That afternoon Logan had flowers and bon bon's delivered, but he couldn't buy Rory's forgiveness that easily. He knew better than that, and that's why he brought home two of her favorite take-out meals.

"Hey," he said as he entered the apartment, but she didn't acknowledge him. Instead, she turned up the volume on the lifetime movie she was watching.

"I see you got the flowers, and candy," he stated loudly so she would hear him over the television.

Suddenly, she turned off the movie, and stared at him piercingly. After long consideration, she finally said, "Yes, I did."

"Look, Rory, I am really sorry…."

"As you should be," she warned.

"I know, I know…" he sighed, "I screwed up…the…"

"Meeting," Rory rolled her eyes, "I've heard it before!"

He remained silent as he looked at her like a five-year-old child that was caught with his hand in the cookie jar. Really, what could he say?

"Logan," she sighed, "You have got to decide now what your priorities are. I know you a psyched about this job. But consider this, where do I come into play? And the baby? What about him, or her?"

"You didn't find out the sex?" Logan asked incredulously, ignoring her other question.

"I didn't want to know," she lied. Of course she knew, but she wanted to punish him. It was wrong, but at the same time she liked having this power over him.

"And, besides," she continued, "That's not the point. The baby is healthy."

"Good," Logan sighed a breath of relief. "I am really sorry. And, you are my number one priorty. The baby , too," he somewhat unconvincingly reassured her.

"Good," she smiled wryly. She was tired of this conversation. She knew in the back of her mind that this would be the perfect time to lay out all of her problems, but she was exhausted. Tomorrow, or over the weekend would be good.

He walked over and kissed her on the lips, "We good?"he asked as they pulled apart.

She smacked her lips as she thought about his question. "Yeah," she finally said and kissed him back.

They enjoyed their take-out meal. They talked. Well, Logan mostly talked and Rory listened. She tried to be a supportive wife, and listen to his every word about work, but honestly it was almost too much for her to bear. Luckily, Logan noticed and swiftly changed the subject.

"Hey," he said, "What about we go maternity clothes shopping Saturday, and have dinner at Seventy Eight?"

"Seventy Eight!" she exclaimed, "That's where we went to dinner when you gave me the Birkenbag!'

"I remember,"

"The burgers are the best!" They said simultaneously.

"Okay," she nodded eagerly, "Sounds like a plan!"

"Good," he smiled, as he stood up and scooped some more fried rice on her plate.

* * *

_Well? Did it meet your expectations? Do you like the direction of the story? Let me know! :)_


	26. Chapter 26

**Hi!**

It's back. Don't hate me for the drama. It'll all be resolved in the next chapters. Stick with it - you've al done for so long, and for that I'm extremely grateful! You guys rock! Let me know what you think of chapter 26! 

**Love always,  
Gilmoregirl19**

Disclaimer: I do not own the fantabulousness that ASP created. 

* * *

"So?" Lorelai's excited, but slightly demanding tone funneled through Rory's cell bright and early the following morning. Rory was still in bed, watching E News, and waiting for Logan to bring her breakfast in bed. He had promised her last night, to make up for his absence at the OB GYN's office.

"What?" Rory responded confused.

"What do you mean what?" Lorelai exclaimed, "You never called me to tell me if I was having a granddaughter or a grandson! That's what!"

"Calm down, Emily," Rory rolled her eyes, "I, uh…" she needed to tell her mother about the lack of Logan at the appointment. However, this was not the time, since she knew her husband could walk through the door any moment, and as if on cue Logan entered the spacious bedroom with a tray of scrambled eggs, a stack of pancakes, orange juice, sausages and toast.

"I can't talk right now, Mom, Logan made me breakfast…" Rory quickly said.

"But…" Lorelai sputtered.

"I'll call you back," Rory whispered, "promise!" She clicked her sidekick shut and tossed it to the side, as if it was on fire, before Logan could set the breakfast tray down.

"Good morning," he greeted her.

"Oh, wow," Rory said examining the spread of food. "I've always enjoyed your cooking skills…." She said as she dug in to her pile of eggs, as Logan shot her a half smile.

"It's from Bernie's Breakfast," she said, voice laced with disappointment and her mouth full of eggs. Clearly, these eggs were not as good as Logan's homemade ones.

"Sorry," he apologized, "I didn't really have time to cook…but Bernie's is your favorite right?"

She nodded, "Yeah, its fine," as she pushed the plate of eggs to the side of her tray.

"So," Logan sighed as he walked over to the closet, "your mom called?"

"Uh huh," Rory said, picking at a piece of toast, turning her focus back to the television, "Why?"

"Just curious," Logan admitted. He had hoped that Rory would elaborate more on the conversation – often she would mention a funny story Lorelai told, or she would tell him that her mother asked about him. He needed to know how much Lorelai knew about the little marital glitch. He wouldn't put it passed her to call him up during a conference call, and beat him with a proverbial stick.

Not that he was worried, but at the same time, he knew Rory told her mother everything and dramatics was a Gilmore Girl trait. And, what's more, it was really none of Lorelai's business. This was between Rory and himself.

"Oh," Rory dully acknowledged him as she glanced at him. "Not much going on in the Hallow."

"No news is good news, I suppose," he responded monotonously. "Hey, what do you think of this tie?"

Rory lazily lifted her head from the pillow and looked at him. He was clad in his signature crisp white shirt, black pants, patent leather shoes and belt. His hair was much more trimmed, now that he had entered the corporate world. She liked it all right, though she preferred that scruffiness his college 'do had. The tie in question was a simple red one, with tiny white dots.

"It looks very nice, honey" she replied in her best Donna Reed voice.

He smiled at her, "Thanks."

He fixed his tie, pulled on his suit jacket, grabbed his briefcase and placed a gentle kiss on the top of her head, "See you tonight," he called over his shoulder as he headed for the door.

Once she heard the door slam, she silenced the television and reached for her sidekick. She continued to pick at her toast as she waited for her mother to pick up the phone.

"Finally!" Rory exclaimed

"Well, sorry babe, some of us actually have _jobs_!" Lorelai teased.

"Ouch, Mom, way to kick a girl while she's down…" Rory sighed back dramatically.

"So," Lorelai said, ignoring Rory, "What's it going to be? Boy or girl? Pink or blue? Sage green or sunflower yellow or whatever my mother says the new hot colors are! Spill it, I'm dying!"

Rory smiled at her mother's enthusiasm. She decided she would tell her the good news first. "How's a granddaughter sound to you?" Rory said happily, as she subconsciously placed her hand over her stomach.

"Oh my gosh!" Lorelai screamed into the phone, "I'm going to have a granddaughter! Sookie, it's a girl! Michel, pay up! It's a girl!"

"Mom," she smiled into the phone, "Sssh"

"Why? It's all okay right?" her mother suddenly sounded concerned.

"Yeah, everything's healthy…" she paused, "It's just that Logan doesn't know yet…."

"What now?" Lorelai asked.

"Uh," she swallowed hard, "I didn't tell him…"

"You didn't tell him," Lorelai repeated slowly, trying to comprehend what her daughter was telling her. "I thought he was supposed to be at the appointment?" she finally asked.

"Was being the operative word, Mom" Rory sighed, before beginning with the whole story, "Basically, he stood me up and I ran into him on the street after the appointment. He was, like, an hour and a half late – I don't know – I was just so upset I took a cab home, and I just told him the baby was healthy – I just didn't tell him I knew about the sex….."

"Oh honey," Lorelai sighed sympathetically.

"I know. He got flowers and candy and my favorite take out, but…"

"You guys still haven't talked," her mother supplied. "Babe, you've got to sit him down and talk!"

"I know, I know." Rory exhaled, "This Saturday we are supposed to go out and shop for maternity clothes. I'm sure we'll talk then."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded, "Good." She paused, and decided she should change the subject. "So, a granddaughter."

"Yep."

"I wish I was born a Smith" Lorelai mused.

"Why? That's so average!"

"Hello!" the Gilmore mother sang into the phone, "Think of the naming opportunities: Granny Smith!"

"And?" Rory questioned, waiting for her mother to offer her other ideas.

"What? That's all you need. Granny Smith."

Rory smiled at her mother's silliness. "Yeah, it's cute."

"Alas, we are but Gilmores…" Lorelai sighed dramatically, "Although, Grannalai has some potential…."

"Mom!" Rory exclaimed, "That's insane!"

"Perhaps…"

"No, for sure!" Rory said adamantly.

At this, Lorelai laughed loudly, "All right, sweets. Grannalai is out," she paused, "I can't believe I'm going to be a Grandma!"

"I can't believe it either," Rory said back in amazement, "Just 5 more months…."

"Hey, kid," Lorelai said suddenly and seriously, "Talk to Logan, okay."

Her mother's words hit her heavy – the desperation in Lorelai's voice was almost tangible.

"I will, Mom," Rory nodded softly, "I will."

* * *

Late Friday afternoon Rory received a call from Logan, apologizing that he probably would not make it home for dinner. Frustrated, Rory ordered just enough Mexican food for her – screw Logan – and settled in for a night of bad lifetime movies. At around midnight, she woke up, realizing that she had fallen asleep in front of the T.V. She lazily shut of the T.V. and sleeplily made her way into the bedroom, hoping to curl up next to Logan.

A wave of panic washed over her, however, when she realized he was not there. Suddenly, she was wide awake and soaked up her surroundings: the bed perfectly made, none of his work clothes in the laundry basket, his shoes not on the rack. She hurried out the room, and headed towards the home office – maybe he was in there, for some late night meeting.

She flung open the door, only to be met by darkness. She scurried through the rest of the two-bedroom apartment, but he was nowhere to be found.

Panic-stricken she hit her speed-dial and waited anxiously for him to pick up the phone. One ring, two rings, three rings…Finally, on the forth ring he picked up.

"Hello?" he answered. Just by the way he picked up the phone, she could tell he was intoxicated. She could hear music and laughter in the background. It was obvious he was at a bar. Immediately, all her anxiety made place for anger.

"Logan!"

"Ace?" Logan slurred, "What's up?"

"What's up?" she harshly repeated his question, "I'm worried sick about you! It's like, one in the morning!"

"I am sorry," he mumbled, "I didn't know you were my mother…."

"No, I'm your wife, and I didn't know you were going out. For all I know you were dead in a ditch."

"Seriously?" he said, "I'm not _out._ It's a work thing – Friday night drinks…..Ah, whatever, you wouldn't understand." He pulled his sidekick away from his ear, "Bobby, another round here!" He yelled.

"I wouldn't understand." Rory nodded her head slowly, now beyond anger, truly hurt.

"Just go to bed, Ace. Your pregnant, you cannot drink anyway, you need to rest. Keep the baby….our baby health… healthily," he rambled drunkenly.

"Logan!" she yelled, but it was no use.

"You're hormonal. Get some sleep; I'll see you in the morning, alright?" He clicked his phone shut before she had the chance to respond.

* * *

The following morning she awoke feeling like crap. She had a slight headache and a pit in her stomach. She needed to talk to Logan. For real this time, before they went out maternity shopping.

She entered the kitchen, expecting to see him there in his boxers and a T-shirt, but he was fully dressed for work.

"It's Saturday," she said by way of a greeting.

"I know," he said frustrated, not elaborating on the subject.

"We were supposed to go maternity clothes shopping…" she said, hurt laced her voice.

"I'm late, Rory," he ran a hand through his hair. She just stared at him, her blue eyes full of disappointment and anger.

"Don't look at me like that," he told her sternly as he fished his credit card out of his wallet. "Look, just go without me," he said unsympathetically as he tossed the card on the counter. "Get what you want, money is not an object."

"What?" she choked out, "What the hell. Money is not an object – are you a pimp?"

"Rory," he sighed, anger growing in his voice, "Not now."

"We need to talk, Logan," she said firmly.

"Not now," he told her as he glanced up at the clock. "Shit," he muttered and clicked his briefcase shut. "Have fun shopping" And with that, he was out the door.

* * *

She was left standing there, in the wake of corporate coldness Logan left behind. This little morning encounter did not turn out as she expected. She wanted to talk over breakfast, and spend the rest of the day shopping, spending time together. Apparently, he was too wrapped up in his own little world to make time for her – not even for her, to make time to _apologize _to her for being a drunk-ass last night.

She glanced at the black card on the counter. It mocked her. Where did he get off saying "money is no object"; he might as well just call her doll face or something equally demeaning. She had her own money; he damn well knew that.

Agitated, she ripped open a packed of strawberry pop tarts. She angrily chewed her breakfast snack as she mulled over their recent relationship problems.

The doorbell rang soon thereafter, breaking her from her thoughts.

"Finn!" she greeted excitedly as she opened the door.

"Rory, love," he said as he placed a gentle kiss on her cheek. "You look pregnant."

"I am, Finn", she smiled, and said, "So what brings you to this neck of the woods?"

"I'm looking for Logan…," he replied firmly, his face falling ever so slightly.

"Oh," she said tightly, and looked hurt, "He's at the office."

"On a Saturday?" he asked incredulously.

"On a Saturday" Rory confirmed sadly, and suddenly a wave of tears washed over her causing her to bawl like a four-year-old child.

"I'm sorry," she choked out through the steady stream of tears.

"Hey, hey, don't be, love." Finn tried to sooth her, entering the apartment, taking off his coat and hugging Rory.

As soon as she calmed down Rory managed to tell him the whole story – from start to finish, even including the parts about her suspicion of Mitchum's involvement in 'Old York's' premature death, her hiding the sex of the baby and drunk Logan.

"I'm sorry, love," he placed a comforting hand on her knee, "I honestly don't know what's gotten into the boy…" he shot her a wry half smile.

"I don't know either," she sighed heavily, "but we'll figure it out…" she nervously bit her lip, "right?"

"If any couple can – it's you two," he replied sincerely. "Take comfort, you aren't alone…"

"What do you mean?" Rory asked.

"I was supposed to go out with him 2 weeks ago…"

"I'm sorry, Finn," Rory replied sympathetically. Suddenly, she had an idea.

"Hey, do you have plans today?"

"No, not at all. Why?"

"Well, if you are willing to sacrifice a day of shopping for clothes with a pregnant woman, I'll listen all about your troubles with the ladies."

"What makes you think I have problems in that department?"

"Finn," Rory shot her friend an amused look.

He chuckled at her newfound enthusiasm – he was glad she stopped crying, and incredibly angry with his friend. Sure, she was pregnant, so a little crying was normal. However, in this case, it was his fault.

"All right, then," Finn relented, "You know I love to shop!"

* * *

"I say we were very successful today," Finn said as handed Rory a slice of pizza.

"I would agree," Rory nodded as she looked at the hundreds of shopping bags strewn across the living room. "Thanks for staying for dinner, Finn," she said, "I know you have more important things to do…like getting Andrea back," she shot him a pointed, yet playful look.

"Love," Finn laughed, "The raven-haired girl will never look at me again. I blew it."

"I'm sure if you beg for forgiveness she'll take you back," Rory said sweetly, "You can't help it that you'd never been attracted to a non-redhead."

"I know," Finn nodded in agreement, "It's very bizar."

"Just tell her that you temporary were off your medication…" Rory laughed.

"Oh, yes, that'll have the ladies lining up!" Finn shot back sarcastically.

The pair were sitting on the couch, eating pizza and laughing just as Logan walked in.

"What's this?" he questioned hotly.

"Oh, Logan, hey," Rory replied cautiously. "Uh, Finn stopped by and he took me maternity clothes shopping. I didn't really feel like eating alone, so we got pizza."

"I told you I'd be home for dinner," he said firmly.

"No you didn't," Rory spat back angrily. "You rushed out this morning – you didn't even apologize for last night, or today!"

"It's always my fault, isn't it!" He yelled, as he set down his briefcase on the breakfast bar, "I'm working here, Rory, so cut the crap. Just, give me a freaking break!"

She stood there, perplexed. "Logan," she said, her voice cracking, "What…?"

"Mate," Finn warned, but Logan cut him off.

"Mind your own business, Finn."

"Mate…" he tried.

"Finn, get out. It isn't any of your business."

"She's your wife, Logan," he rushed to say, "What's gotten into you?"

"Finn" his voice stung in his friends' ears. "I'll call security."

The good-hearted Aussie stood up, and directed himself towards Rory, "Love, you have my numbers – just call if you need anything." Then, he turned towards Logan, and hurled a heated "Screw you" towards him. And with that, he left.

By now, Rory was sobbing again. It was just too much. At first, she was mad at Logan, but now it was as if he had undergone an internal makeover. In a few short weeks, he had become foreign to her.

"Rory," his tone softened as he heard her cry, "I… I.. we need to talk."

* * *

_PS: Don't forget to review :)_


	27. Chapter 27

"Yeah," Rory sniffled as she wiped away her tears with the sleeve of her shirt, "We need to talk."

Logan nodded slowly, "I've got to get out of my work clothes."

"I'll be in the kitchen," Rory matched his cold tone.

* * *

Logan entered the kitchen wearing grey sweatpants and an old navy blue Yale t-shirt. Rory stood at the counter, making an ice-cream sundae.

"Want one?" she asked as she felt his presence, though she did not take her eyes off the half-gallon container of vanilla toffee crunch.

"No," Logan replied, "I'm good." He sat down at the breakfast bar, and watched her scoop the ice cream in a bowl. She felt his eyes following her every move. The tension was unbearable.

"You know," her solemn-sounding voice sliced through the room, "The last time we had ice-cream sundaes was the night you proposed."

She did not know why she brought that up. Yes, it was the truth, but thinking about that night and how happy she was, _they both were_, just seemed cruel.

"I know," Logan swallowed, "I remember."

Rory was now loading chopped nuts and whipped cream on her ice cream, and Logan, who had initiated the talk, was still quiet.

Even though Rory was upset with him, she was worried about him since this behavior was so out of character. Normally, he was the take the bull by the horns type of person.

Rory sighed heavily, as she put the top back on the whipped cream and carried the ice cream fixings back to the fridge. She closed the fridge door with a bang, and walked back over the counter. A now eerie quiet crept over the apartment, and Rory could not take it anymore. What was up with Logan?

"Are you cheating on me?" she blurted. It didn't sound angry, or accusatory. It sounded more like a normal every day question, as if she asked him to pick up a gallon of milk.

It took a second for the question to compute in Logan's brain. He was deep in thought, wondering how to start this conversation. He figured Rory was busy with her ice-cream, so now was a good a time as ever to try to organize the thoughts that scattered his mind.

"What?" he asked incredulously. His voice sounded strained, as if it came from a faraway place.

"Are you cheating on me?" Rory repeated, slower this time, her voice cracking ever so slightly.

"Cheating?" Logan sounded distraught, "No! Why… what have I done to make you think that?"

"Missing dinners, working late, no maternity clothes shopping, skipping the sonogram…," she rattled of her list, paused and then whispered, "Bobbi."

"Bobby?"

"Last night, at the bar – you asked Bobbi for another round of drinks – I heard it, through the phone!" Rory explained.

"Bobby?" Logan questioned again.

"Don't play dumb, Logan," Rory was becoming frustrated again, "If Bobbi works for you again, you could have just told me – I wouldn't have been mad. However, to go around my back, cheat on me and… and then lie about it? What is that? Do I deserve that?"

Then, it dawned on Logan. "Rory, I'm not cheating on you with Bobby or anybody else," he sighed, though she could tell it wasn't an angry sigh. He actually sounded somewhat amused.

"I don't think it's funny, Logan," she said seriously.

"Rory," he shook his head. "I haven't seen Bobbi – B O B B I," he spelled out, "since London. I haven't talked to her since then." He shot her a half smile. It was sort of cute she was still jealous about that. "Bobby, B O B B Y, is the bartender. Or, at least I hope that's his name, since that's what I always call him." He looked at her, sincerely, and hoped that this explanation would satisfy her.

"It's the truth," he said, since she remained quiet as she looked down at her ice cream. "It is," he reassured her, "Call up the bar if you want…"

"No, that's fine," she said tightly. She felt like she was being ridiculed, as if her suspicions of him cheating were a joke. She believed him when he said he wasn't cheating, but it still didn't add up, why was he so angry?

"Rory…" he drawled, "I…"

"I believe you, Logan," she stated, "it just doesn't make sense. If it's not that – then what?" She ran a hand through her hair as this whole situation frustrated her.

"You" The word formed in his brain, and escaped his mouth before he could even think about it. It was a horrible thing to say, but in a nutshell, it was the truth.

'ME?' Rory was outraged! "_What?_" she questioned in disbelief. "Where do you get off blaming your pregnant wife for all your problems? What the hell, Logan?"

"I didn't mean it like that," he shot back hotly. "And, where do you get off – you blame me, Rory, you pull the pregnant wife card at every opportunity!"

"I most certainly do not," she was offended.

"You do!" he spat, "Shit, Rory. Emily Gilmore has nothing on you when it comes to guilt."

"Take that back," Rory yelled, "Right now!"

"No," he shrugged, "It's the truth. You do an excellent job at reminding me when I've let my pregnant wife down."

"I can't help that you do, Logan!" She bawled her hands in anger, "What kind of husband forgets his child's first sonogram? The opportunity to see your child's heartbeat for the first time…."

"Stop," he screamed, "Stop right there – that's guilt, Rory. And I feel bad enough as it is, so don't make it worse!"

"You should have been there – you should have had your priorities in order!"

"Should of, would of, could of," he replied bitterly.

"Yeah! You should be involved more – it's your kid!"

"That's right, Rory!" Logan yelled, "It's **my** kid. Finn has no business taking you maternity clothes shopping. That's my job!"

"Apparently not, since you 'rescheduled' me for two weeks straight. If you were really that concerned you would have made time."

"Give me a break," Logan spat, "Finn just likes to cause trouble!"

"No, Logan," Rory countered, "He was just being a nice to his best friends pregnant wife."

"There you go again with the guilt!" Logan yelled, ignoring the rest.

The couple stopped their screaming match shortly to catch their breath and think about what their respective spouses just said.

"Am I really as bad as Emily Gilmore?" Rory asked in a small voice, breaking the silence.

"No," Logan shook his head, "I'm sorry, Rory – I" He sounded somewhat sincere, but Rory wasn't buying into it.

"You what, Logan," she was pissed, "Take pleasure out of missing dinners, and never coming home. Or is it trying to ship me off to the DAR and acting all crazy angry?"

"Oh, spare me the dramatics!" He laughed sarcastically, "I've put up with your crazy crap for much longer!"

"I am PREGNANT!" she screamed.

"I KNOW!" he yelled back, "That's why I never made a problem out of it!"

"Oh, yeah, you were Mr. Accommodating. Let's bring out the judges so you can collect your freaking prize!" She shot him a pointed look.

"Ladies and Gentleman," she addressed the non-existing crowd, "Here he is, Mr. Accommodating 2008, Logan Huntzberger!" She closed her eyes as to form slits and clapped three times: "Congratu-freaking-lations."

"Oh, real mature, Rory!" He nodded, burning with irritability. "You think that since you are carrying the baby you get to have all the freak-outs!"

"I was scared, Logan! I fell in love with you again, found out I was pregnant, married you, was laid off and had to come to terms with my impending motherhood. I was entitled to a damn freak-out!" She yelled, "I was _scared_!"

"Yeah, well," he shot back hotly, "What about me? Huh, Rory, what about me?"

She opened her mouth to say something, but stopped herself. She felt her heart pound in her chest as a wave of panic and guilt washed over her. He was right. His only freak-out was pre-wedding. She was still angry with him, though she felt tears well up in her eyes. How could she be so selfish? She just assumed that Logan was all gung-ho about it all. He always took everything in his stride – it was in his nature.

"Don't cry," he sighed, "Please don't cry."

She blew her nose as a reply.

He sighed heavily, "I'm not mad at you, Ace. I understand that you are anxious about the baby. I know you are still upset about your job. I know you have had a hard time readjusting. I know – I get that."

"I know," she nodded and said softly, "You _are_ Mr. Accommodating."

"No, I'm not. I…" he paused. He really had no idea how he could say this, without it coming out wrong, but he decided that he had best spit it out.

"Rory, I'm screwing this up. It's me," he ran a hand through his hair, "I've been married to you for three months, and I've already managed to screw this up. How in the hell am I going to figure out a baby? At least you can yell back."

"Logan," Rory realized that when her husband finally had a breakdown, it was a serious breakdown, "You aren't screwing this up. It's just bad timing. I needed to grieve Old York, and you were so excited about HPG – and we're in this together, we are screwing us up, together…."

He sighed, and shook his head, "I'm going to be like Mitchum. I'll be the world's second worst Dad."

"Don't say that – you are better than him."

"No, Rory, I work with him every day, and every day I see more and more similarities…."

"Then quit," she suggested, a little too eagerly, but that went unnoticed by him. "You don't need him, and you don't have to rush out to get a job. We can do without for a while…"

"Ace!" Logan was appalled by her suggestion, "I can't not work. I'm responsible for you and the baby. I have to work, and I am signed with HPG."

She sighed heavily. It was obvious that he was being traditional about this. It was definitely one of the reasons that she loved him but at the same time, she just wanted him to be happy, and HPG wasn't guaranteeing happiness.

"Okay," she nodded, "I understand."

"You do?"

"I know you, Logan," she stated seriously, "You underestimate me. I know you didn't want to talk to me about your job, and anxiety about the baby because you think it'll hurt me. Or, that I can't handle it. You try to protect me, but _not _telling me hurts me more."

She moved away from behind the counter, and walked over to him. "I know it's tough, but don't worry so much. You will be a great Dad and you won't turn into Mitchum – even if you work with him 24/7. You are better than him." She looked at him sternly, though lovingly, "And if all else fails, I'll knock some sense into you!"

He chuckled, slightly, and pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Ace," he whispered in her ear.

"Me too, Logan," She placed a random kiss on his shoulder, "Me too."

* * *

Tired of fighting, and pleased with the fact that now everything seemed to be out in the open, the couple moved to the couch for some much needed relaxation.

"Hey," Rory suddenly shot up from Logan's gentle embrace, "I've got to tell you something." She sounded concerned, so Logan silenced 'Bizarre Foods' and sat up a little straighter.

"I lied to you the other day," she confessed, as she scooted away from him and got up off the couch.

"Okay," Logan nodded, "About what?"

"The baby…" she sighed, as she continued rummaging through her purse. "A ha," she said triumphantly, as she fished the square Polaroid out of her date-book.

"I told you I didn't know the sex of our child…" she couldn't look him in the eye. In fact, she really couldn't believe she blatantly lied to her husband. It was so low.

"But, you do," Logan realized what Rory was trying to say. "You didn't tell me because you wanted to punish me?" He asked in amazement. Sure, it stung, but at the same time he reasoned that he deserved it. Besides, it happend, he figured best not to argue about it any more.

She nodded.

"Hey," he reached for her hand, and pulled her down to the couch, "it's okay. I was an ass that day. I should have cancelled that meeting, okay. You and the baby are more important to me than Huntzberger Publishing." He had said that once before, insincerely, because it was the "right thing" to say, at the time, but this time, Rory could tell that he meant it.

"Just done withhold any more information, okay, Ace?" he asked gently.

"Yeah," she nodded, "I _am_ really sorry."

"I know," he sighed, "Let's see the picture."

Rory whipped out the blurry gray picture. "That's the head, I think," she pointed to a lighter gray patch.

"Hmm" Logan acknowledged.

"Oh, wait," Rory pulled the picture out of his hands, and turned it to the left, "Maybe it's this…"

They both broke out wave of much needed, heartfelt laughter.

"So?" Logan asked, as soon as he was done laughing. "Do we have to paint the nursery pink or blue?"

"Yellow," Rory replied.

"Yellow?" Logan questioned, "I forget, is that a boy or girl color?"

"It's my favorite color," Rory answered smiling wildly, "And perfect for our little baby girls room…."

"Oh, wow, a girl" Logan was awestruck, "That's awesome."

"You aren't disappointed it's not a boy?"

"No," Logan shook his head, "Why would I be?"

"Maybe you wanted your first born to be a son?"

"And pass up the chance to have another Gilmore Girl?" He smiled, and pressed a sweet kiss on her lips, "Never." He moved southward, lifted Rory's shirt up, to expose her stomach, and placed a tiny kiss on her, ever growing stomach, "I might screw it up, but I do love you, Baby G."

Rory tenderly ran her hands through his hair, "I'm glad we aren't fighting anymore," she whispered.

"Me too, Ace."

* * *

Later that evening, as soon as Logan knew for sure Rory was asleep he snuck out of bed, and into the living room.

"Hey, sorry I'm calling this late…."

"What do you want?" Finn said flatly.

"I'm sorry," Logan said. It wasn't part of the man-code to flat-out say "I'm sorry", but, truth was, Logan was. His friend was there for Rory when he couldn't be, and he had treated him like a jerk. Besides, Finn couldn't care less about man-code.

"You are?" Finn asked, not believing his friend. "What's the sudden turn around?"

"Rory and I talked, yelled rather, and we are good…."

Finn encouraged him to go on.

"I was wrapped up in work, didn't want to burden her and avoided her in the process. We talked about it, we are on the same page, and that's all you are getting!" Logan said, though somewhat relieved he could talk to Finn about these things.

"Good to hear, mate," Finn was back to his cheery self, "I would hate to have to spend every other weekend at her place…."

Logan laughed, "Hey, so what's up with the raven-haired girl?"

"Oh, so now you care…" Finn laughed, "Seriously, the lovely and talented Rory advised me to ring her up, and tell her I was off my medication. Or, be honest, and tell her I was acting crazy since she isn't a red-head. So, I rang her up, explained the situation and she's meeting me tomorrow for lunch!"

"Great!" Logan laughed, "The one thing the baby doesn't impair are her advice giving skills. It's a girl, by the way – the baby is." Logan said, pride lacing his tone.

"Splendid, mate!" Finn said enthusiastically. Rory had told him it was a girl, but he didn't want to hurt his friend's feelings. "That's incredible!"

"LOGAN!" Rory's yell suddenly filled the house.

"Got to go, Finn!" Logan exclaimed, "Something's up with Rory!"

* * *

"What? What is it?" He came rushing into the bedroom.

She pointed towards the bedside phone. "It's Mitchum."

* * *

**I figured I'd put the A/N down here since you all were dying to know what was going on in the New York Nightsville. Did you like it? Did it meet your expectations? And, the 43 people that reviewed: Can I just say you guys rock my world! I cannot believe 43 reviews on the last chapter. Normally, I average about 15 reviews for this particular story, (and even less for Not So Simple Life) so you can imagine how excited I am about this sudden enormous response! Maybe I should do a cliffhanger like that more often!  
I can't believe how many of you thought he was going to cheat! With Bobby, no less! Personally, I hadn't looked at it that way – but it inspired me to use that concept in this chapter. And, Logan, he'd be a dead man now considering how many of you wanted to cyber-punch his lights out. Love the passion!**

**I am so happy you all still like this story – it's definitely had its ups and downs – so thank you so, so much. I do love the reviews; I like to know I'm writing for an audience – even if it's just one person. So, I'll stop gushing, but big yay to all you reviewers and alert/fav's! Oh, Shanynde, I'll take those brownies right about now! Haha. **

**Just to give you an idea – we've got about 7 or 8 chapters left, with drama, drama, and then back to sunshine and roses. Now, get on with it and review, ha-ha. **

**Love always, **

**Gilmoregirl19 **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the awesomeness that is Gilmore Girls. **


	28. Chapter 28

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**

Hi!

**Thanks for your patience on this update. I've been busy, but I'm loving this story so much - I don't write that much in advance, but I have the end of the story in my head and just between you and me: it rocks.  
I hope you all like this new chapter. You'll read what happened right after Mitchum called - it may seem a bit random after that. But, keep in mind, it's a time jump of about a month (Rory is about 5 months pregnant). I just really wanted to portray that Rory and Logan are trying to put their differences aside, and focus on being a couple. Both have a different set of priorities, and it's hard (especially for our favorite blond-haired, brown-eyed boy) to mesh. Besides, I figure a little fluff was in order. Anyway, that's the reasoning behind it. Let me know if you agree or disagree by reviewing. I'm also eager to find out your guys' opinions. **

**Thanks to each and everyone of the 27 reviewers, and of course, everyone who reads this. It's so awesome! You all seem to be in to it, so that makes me even more excited! **

**With Love, **

**Gilmoregirl19**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the wonderfulness that ASP has created. **

**PS: Check out The Not So Simple Life, if you haven't already done so - that's the next one to be updated! **

* * *

"It's one in the morning!" Logan whispered agitated as he picked up the phone from the bedside table.

"Dad, hey," Logan sighed as he rolled his eyes at Rory. She stifled a laugh, and watched as her husband's features changed rapidly from mild irritation, to rage and finally surrendering.

"No, I'll make sure to bring the files," he promised, "I'll see you in a bit."

He hung up the phone, as Rory stared at him. "But, it's one in the morning!" she said in disbelief.

"I know," he nodded and walked over to the closet.

Rory kicked the covers off her and followed him. "Logan, you can't be serious about going to work at one in the freaking morning!"

"Ace," he sighed, as he grabbed a pair of slacks and a dress shirt. Suddenly he sounded tense, "Mitchum wouldn't have called unless I absolutely needed to be there!"

"I doubt that," Rory crossed her arms over her chest, and glanced towards the plush cream-colored carpet.

"Hey," Logan walked over to her, placed his index finger under her chin, and gently forced her to look at him. He spoke softly, "Once this transfer goes through, and I become a full-fledged employee, things will quiet down."

Rory seriously questioned that, she suspected that his duties would just increase, but it was late and seeing as they had just made up she decided to nod, "I hope."

"Come on," he said, guiding her back towards the bedroom, "I'll tuck you in."

She shot him a quick smile, and let him tuck her in. "Can you do me a favor?" she asked sweetly, as she looked up to him from her pillow.

"What's that?"

"Just go in your sweats, to hell with Mitchum and the HPG dress-code!"

"What?" he asked in her mock-offense and smirked, "And have you forgo the opportunity to watch me undress?"

It was his cute way of dodging the question, and Rory saw through his ways. "Logan," she said sternly.

"It's policy," he replied.

She nodded, normally she would shoot back a sarcastic comment, something about one in the morning not exactly being office hours, but it was late and she was tired. Besides, she figured that the last thing Logan needed was a cranky comment from the girl who _was_ about to get a good night's sleep.

"You'll be back for breakfast, right?" she asked lazily as she watched him button his white dress shirt over his perfectly toned torso.

"I'll probably make it back for a pop-tart or something," he replied unsurely. "If I can't, do you want to do lunch?"

"How very corporate of you," she replied teasingly, reaching for her sidekick and pretended to look at her schedule. "I think I can pencil you in…."

He laughed, before pressing a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, Ace."

"Goodnight, babe," she yawned, as she felt sleep overtake her body.

* * *

The next few weeks continued in a similar fashion as the couple tried to move past what they now referred to as the "Great Fight of February". It was difficult, since Mitchum was stealing more and more of Logan's valuable time. It was upsetting, and the couple both sincerely hoped that things would quiet down once Milton made Logan's position with the company public.

Logan's days were now filled with endless meetings with writers, accountants, web companies, journalists and graphic designers. Really, anyone that was to be involved with Travel Magazine's re-launch. It was stressful, and Milton and Mitchum breathing down his neck every minute of the day did not help things much. Nevertheless, he enjoyed his job; he excelled at it. Besides, he knew that if he played it their way for the time being he would get this job and he would have his relative freedom. Undoubtedly, though, the best part of his day was when his was with Rory. Whether that was for a lunch date, an early morning breakfast, flirty text messages, a doctor's appointment, dinner-and-a-movie or a quick phone call. Whatever time they had together, he wanted to spend it with her and made his best effort to leave the office for the office.

Luckily, Rory understood Logan's position enough not to sit around and wait for him. She didn't fully get why Logan yearned to be contracted by HPG, though after watching countless episodes of Dr. Phil, she figured it had something to do with finally being accepted by his father. In any case, it was important to him, and she decided she'd best support him. After all, he was Mr. Accommodating, and the few short hours he was home he really did leave the office for what it was and focused all of his attention on her and the baby.

In the meantime, she was officially over wallowing about "Old York", and was in full on nesting mode. With Logan's blessing she and Lorelai decorated Baby G's nursery and shopped for some essentials, even though Rory knew she'd receive a lot of things at her baby showers.

She mostly spent her days reading, and soaking up the vibrant city life. The more she thought about it, the more she liked the idea of being at home, caring for the baby. Another great part of her time was spent dodging Emily and Shira's calls. They were the only stress factor in her otherwise relatively stress free life.

* * *

"Hey," Logan greeted as he walked in, on a sunny late March afternoon. He made his way over to the couch, where Rory was engaged in what appeared to be a movie marathon.

"Hey," Rory replied absentmindedly, as she pressed a kiss on his lips. He hovered above her, slightly, waiting to see if she'd grant him more than a quick kiss, though it was obvious her attention was focused on Thelma & Louise.

He smiled at her relaxed state, quickly changed out of his work clothes, and into his sweats and plopped down on the couch next to her.

"It's the Girl Power marathon on Lifetime," she offered as an explanation as soon as the commercial break came on.

"I see," Logan smirked. "Driving off a cliff to certain death screams girl power to me," he continued sarcastically.

"Hey," Rory playfully swatted him, "It's a classic. You must _never_ mock a classic. Besides, what about young Brad Pitt…"

"What about him?" Logan interrupted.

"Hello," Rory used her "duh" voice, "hotness!"

Logan threw his head back, laughing. It was good to be home.

"How was your day?" Rory asked, reaching over him, grabbing a handful of M&M's out of the snack bowl.

"Fine," Logan sighed, "Crazy busy, but I think we've gotten the webhosting deal finalized."

"Oh that's great, babe." Rory smiled at him.

"Yeah," he nodded, "one thing I can check off." He threw his arm around her shoulder, "So, what else have you done besides watching Brad Pitt?"

"Nothing much," she responded a bit sheepishly, usually she'd tell him about the people she'd watch while sipping tea at some hole-in-the-wall café, or about the books she'd read, but today she hadn't felt up to it.

He shot her a concerned look, 'Are you feeling okay?"

"Uh," she touched her nose – a clear indication that she was lying – "Yeah, fine."

"Rory," he said firmly, "What's wrong?"

"It's probably nothing…" she tried to wave it away, "I don't want to stress you out, and you're busy with work…"

"You are more important than work, Ace," he said seriously, "Do you feel sick? Your head? Stomach? Throat?" He continued to look at her, searching for signs of illness and waiting for her to give in.

She was stubborn, but finally she whispered, "My tummy."

He squeezed her shoulder gently, before getting up and getting his laptop bag. Her eyes followed his every move, as he waited for him to return.

"Symptoms?" he asked as soon as his laptop booted up.

"You are going to Google me?" she asked in disbelief. "Anyone can put anything on the internet! I'll have a doctor diagnose me, not the Google School of Medicine!"

"You want to go to the doctors?" he shot her a pointed look.

"No!"

"That's what I thought" he smirked, "Now, symptoms."

She rolled her eyes, "It's like bubbles popping, or a butterfly flapping it's wings"

"Bubbles popping, or butterfly flapping its wings," he repeated as he typed. He didn't smirk, or joke about her interesting description of her symptoms. He waited a beat for Google to pull up the results, and instantly smiled widely.

"What?" she asked urgently, as she noticed his big grin, "What's it say?"

"Oh," he said, closing his computer slightly, "I thought you didn't believe in the Google School of Medicine!"

"Not if Google was going to kill me!" she exclaimed, "But clearly, this," she imitated his goofy smiling face, "indicates that I'm not dying."

"No, you aren't dying," he laughed as he kissed her gently.

"So, bubbles are a good thing?" she asked as she pulled away.

He nodded, "Bubbles are a great thing, Ace."

"Because…"

"Because it's the baby kicking," he whispered, and opened his computer back up, for her to see.

She leaned in clos

* * *

er to him, as her eyes rapidly scanned the page. The same silly grin crept over her face, as she jumped of the couch and grabbed her pregnancy book.

"What's it say?" Logan asked; the grin still plastered on his face.

"Same as Google," she laughed, as she let herself fall back on the couch, and into his embrace.

He kissed her forehead lovingly, "Why didn't you just look it up earlier?"

"I hate self-diagnosing. I will think I will have all the symptoms, end up writing my will on a napkin and wait for the Grim Reaper to find me," she explained.

She saw his amused look, "What?" she shrugged, "It just creeps me out!"

"You could have called, Ace," he looked at her seriously.

"I know, but… oh" she pulled away, and placed her hands on her growing stomach. "It's fluttering!" she exclaimed, reached for Logan's hands, and positioned them on her stomach, too. "Do you feel it?" she asked eagerly.

He nodded; amazed that this was his child. "Next time, call me, Ace," he said seriously.

"I will," she shot him a quick smile, "Promise."

* * *

The following morning Rory was feeling much better, and she decided that today would be the perfect day for some shopping. She was just about to go out the door, as she saw the answering machine blinking.

Against her better judgment, she decided to check the messages.

'_Rory, it's your grandmother. You haven't returned any of my messages – I'm concerned. Are you feeling okay? I'm sure Nicole Richie's doctor will still want to examine you, even though you snubbed her and went to that awful New York hospital instead. Please call me back, Rory, we desperately need to get together and finalize the baby shower details. I can't believe you did not find out the sex of the baby. Really, dear, what were you thinking? However, thank you for faxing over your color scheme, though, honestly, yellow? Missy Jonston did her daughter's baby shower in yellow's last season…. " _

"_Rory, it's Shira. How are you feeling, dear? Emily tells me you might take her up on her offer to get you an appointment with Nicole Richie's doctor since that dreadful New York hospital practically traumatized you. She tells me they didn't even ask if you wanted to know the sex. Honestly, Rory, Logan and Mitchum say you're a bright girl! _

_I saw your color scheme, and the yellow is just darling. Don't worry, honey, Emily and I will make it much more stunning than Missy's shower last year. Send my love to Logan, and of course to my first grandchild." _

Rory waited for the machine to cycle through the other six messages the pair of Hartford Wives left on her machine, before deleting them all.

"_Promise me we'll never move to Hartford."_

She quickly texted Logan, as she made her way out of the apartment and on to the bustling city streets.

"_Delete the messages, Ace. I'll call my mother later." _

Her phone beeped a few seconds later. She smiled, loving him for instantly knowing what she was referring to.

"_Did already. Thanks, babe. How's your day?" _

The sidekick vibrated again.

"_In a meeting, might be home for dinner." _

She decided not to text him back, since he was working and she wanted him to finish that so he'd be home for dinner.

She spent the rest of the morning and a good part of the afternoon shopping. She was at Victoria's Secret, buying lip-gloss – since she knew that this store wouldn't have anything that would come remotely close to fitting her pregnant body – when the sweet, comforting scent washed over her: coffee.

She was forced to give up her beloved drink as it tragically made her violently ill, and had replaced it by sipping sickeningly sweet fizzy drinks. Even after coffee had stopped making her sick, Logan had coffee-proofed the house, and Rory had done her best to avoid the sensational beverage all together.

Nevertheless, as she stood in line, paying for her Hot Coconut Gloss as the coffee aroma tickled her nose, she knew she had to have it.

* * *

"Come in," Logan's dull voice replied.

"Hey!" Rory exclaimed enthusiastically, as she entered Logan's office.

"Rory, what are you doing here?" his eyes grew wide. They did not have a lunch date, or a dinner date, or any kind of date. And she _never_ just showed up at the office. "Is everything okay?"

"Better than okay!" she exclaimed, as she tossed her shopping bags on his dark leather couch. "You want to know why I'm here, right?" she asked, as she caught the worried look in his eye.

"Don't worry, I'm fine!" she continued, almost sounding drunk.

He walked over to her, and concernedly placed his hands on her shoulders, 'Are you sure?"

She nodded, "Absolutely. And you know why?" She did not wait for him to respond. "I had a Grande mocha, coppa, frappe, cappuccino," she paused, and gesticulated wildly, 'coffee thing, with a double shot of espresso and a shot of caramel!"

She was too busy gushing about her coffee drink; she did not notice the confusion in Logan's eyes. She pulled the large coffee from behind her back, where she had been hiding it, and proudly held it in front of him. "Isn't he pretty?" she asked.

"It's enormous, Ace!' he exclaimed, taking in the size of the coffee. Knowing Ace – this was probably not the first she consumed today, hence her weird, strung-out behavior. "How many of those have you had today, babe?" he asked.

"Three," she held up three fingers to clarify.

He shot her a disapproving look. "Rory…"

"What?" she held up her hands in defense, "It's coffee. Lovely, lovely, coffee. Sweet, creamy, beautiful coffee that doesn't make me sick."

"Ace," Logan couldn't help but grin at her coffee monologue. "It's not good for the baby,"

"The baby!" she exclaimed, "Baby G _wanted_ it Logan. If she hadn't she would have stopped me. She's smart," she pointed at her stomach, "she has good taste. The whole extra shot of espresso was her idea." She blinked innocently at her husband.

"No more," he said unfazed, though she could have sworn she saw amusement in his eyes, as he took the king sized beverage from her hands, and coldheartedly tossed the drink in the garbage can.

"My coffee!" Rory yelled, "You threw out my coffee!'

"It's for your own good," Logan told her, as he sat back down at his desk.

"That's so cold," she said as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I thought you'd be happy for me, that's why I came here you know" she explained, "I was in Victoria's Secret, and all of the sudden it was like I was drawn to the coffee – it was like the baby _knew_, and I thought you'd understand. I should have just called my Mom. She would have been happy for me."

"I'm happy for you, Ace, but I'm not going to let you hurt yourself."

She remained silent, pouting at him. He did not budge, though, instead he changed the subject, "Victoria's Secret, huh. What did you buy?"

She considered making a bitchy comment about men and Victoria's Secret; however, the sudden influx of coffee to her severely deprived system limited her brain function somewhat. "Oh, nothing fancy," she sighed, "They don't make lingerie for pregnant women..."

"Such a shame," Logan smirked, as he gave her a quick once over.

"I know," Rory smiled coyly, before yawning loudly.

"Tuckered you out already! I know I'm good, but that good..." Logan teased as Rory laughed at his innuendo.

"What can I say?" she shrugged, "Pregnancy has made me easy."

"You are never easy, my dear, Ace," Logan said, as he thought about the giant cup of coffee in his garbage can.

"Easy smeasy," Rory mumbled in reply, walking over to his office couch. "Mind if I use this for a while?" she asked, though she obviously did not wait for his reply, since she was placing her bags on the floor, and fluffing up the pillows for a quick nap.

"Just a nap," she said sweetly as he looked at her incredulously.

"I'll call you a car if you want. That couch can't be very comfortable," Logan, told her, but she had already closed her eyes.

He continued to watch her as her breathing evened out. Her presence relieved some of the tension that surrounded the office. The vibrancy that she brought into his otherwise mundane workday never ceased to amaze him. He smiled genuinely content as he focused back on his computer, confident that together they would make it through whatever drama came their way. He sincerely hoped that they wouldn't be seeing drama anytime soon, but, of course, he should have known better.

* * *

Mitchum entered Logan's office without knocking.

"Logan, we need the finance report by 5.30 today. Harold needs to crunch the numbers again. You need to firm up dates with Janet and Bill about the luncheon, you need to call Gabby and have her set up an appointment with the tailor for you suit…" Mitchum continued to rattle off a whole list of tasks, until he noticed Rory sleeping on the couch.

"Who's that?" he asked, pointing towards the improvised bed.

"My wife, Rory," Logan retorted, "You've met her before."

"No reason to take that tone, son," Mitchum warned, "What is she doing here?"

"She stopped by…" he caught the warning look in his father's eye, "_briefly_ to tell me something about the _baby_," he stressed. "And, she was tired – you know, hormones, - and, uh, decided to take a nap on the couch." Logan couldn't help the smile that crept over his face.

"And you allowed that?"

"Yes, Dad," Logan replied, growing annoyed, "I offered to call her a car, but she was asleep…."

"This is a place of business, Logan."

"I'm aware of that." Logan said, somewhat condescendingly, glancing at the pile of work on his desk.

Both Huntzberger men remained eerily silent, glaring at each other. Neither willing to back down, though neither willing to apologize.

Rory's yawning broke the power-struggle between the men. "Best. Nap. Ever."

Logan shot her a warm smile, "Good." Then glared at his father, "I'm glad."

She now noticed Mitchum. "Oh, Mitchum," she said, "Good to see you again."

He gave her a cool once over, making her feel slightly uncomfortable. "Why are you here? This is an office, Rory. Not some Women's Club."

"But…" Rory started to say, as Logan jumped in with an exasperated "_Dad!" _

Rory was hurt by Mitchum's coolness, somewhere she figured that since he had accepted the pregnancy things would be different. But, deep down, she knew that Mitchum was ice-cold when it came to business. She knew he wouldn't change. She had come to expect this from him, frankly, she'd been more worried if he hadn't said something exceptionally hurtful.

"No, Logan," she said determined, "it's fine." She turned towards Mitchum. "You know, if you didn't keep him here until midnight, or have him come in at one in the morning I wouldn't have to be here. I would have had time to talk to my husband," she crossed her arms over her chest, crooked her eyebrow and waited for his reply.

"It's his job, Rory," he replied calmly, "Surely; you couldn't have forgotten what that was like so soon?"

"No, no, I haven't forgotten" Rory shot back, without missing a beat, "But, of course, I worked for a sane person and not the devil."

"_Ace,_" Logan sighed, running a hand through his hair. He loved that she could hold her own, but at the same time, he still needed to work for this man.

"It's okay, son," Mitchum said, "I'll chalk it up to hormones."

"Hormones!" Rory said outraged, and Logan could tell that this was going to trigger a long rant.

He got up from his desk, walked over to her and embraced her, before her words could to any damage.

Immediately, she buried her face in his shirt and continued ranting, as he rubbed her back, trying to soothe her. In the mean time, he shot his father a look that said, "Get out."

"I'll be back later," Mitchum said, before rushing out of the room.

"You okay?" Logan asked his wife, as she pulled back from their embrace.

"I hate him. He's a two-faced…." she clenched her fist, "butt-faced, miscreant!"

"You are saying I take after my father?" Logan shook his head in mock-shock, earning a tiny laugh from Rory.

"No," she rolled her eyes, "I just didn't want to say a bad word. Baby's can hear in the womb, you know."

"I know," Logan nodded. "Don't let Mitchum bother you, Ace. It'll be okay."

She rolled her eyes again, "He's my father-in-law all the time, not just when he's off work!"

"I know," Logan said, as hugged her again, "It's just the way he is." He felt Rory's nod on his chest. "Do you want me to call you a car?"

She pulled away slightly and eyed her shopping bags. "Yeah," she sighed, "Can you have the driver take the bags upstairs, too?" she asked lazily.

"Whatever you want, babe," he said, grabbing his phone out of his pocked and dialing the number.

"I probably won't be home 'til midnight-ish," Logan said, as he helped her with her coat.

"I figured as much," Rory shot him half-smile, "Wake me up before you leave in the morning. I want to hear about your conversation with Mitchum." she pressed a kiss on his lips, "Every. Last. Word."

* * *

_Soooooo?_


	29. Chapter 29

**I know Apryl must be happy! Updating hasn't really been a strong point lately, but I'm just really busy – it's a lame-o excuse, I know! **

**For all you Mitchum haters out there – love it by the way! – Rory's day to tell him off will come and I promise you that Rory and Logan will fight him in a united front. However, that day is not today… **

**A little recap: Rory and Logan aren't fighting anymore and both are making an effort to improve their relationship. Rory was out shopping and got an instant need for some HDC (hot delicious coffee). She wanted to share this epic moment with her beloved. She rushed to Logan's office, and finally decided to take a nap on his couch, only to be woken up by Mitchum. Things get a little tense, and Logan tries to smooth it over – finally sending Mitchum away and Rory home. **

**In this chapter, Logan confronts Mitchum and gets some good news as well as some bad news…. Let me know what you think!! There is a little sexual content in this chapter - not much and hardly M rating worthy in my opinion..so yeah, if it offends you - sorry - let me know if you want me to up the rating, I guess. **

**Thank you all so much for the reviews, I really love them! And, thanks for adding this to your fav's and story alerts. That still blows my mind! You ROCK! **

**Love, **

**Gilmoregirl19**

**Disclaimer: It's all ASP. **

**PS: Will be updating Not So Simple Life next - if you haven't check it out! (Hey! A little shameless plug never hurt anyone!) **

* * *

Logan didn't get much sleep last night. Mitchum kept him at the office well past midnight and he needed to be back at Huntzberger Publishing before eight this morning. Luckily, Rory wasn't a light sleeper, so she almost never woke up when he crawled in and out of bed.

As he let the hot shower sooth his body, he thought about his conversation with Mitchum.

* * *

"_Has she left?" _

_Logan looked up from his desk and shot his father a pointed look. He really did not appreciate Mitchum treating Rory as if she was some lesser being. "Don't worry, I called her a car," Logan said with a heavy sigh. _

"_Don't start with me, son," Mitchum warned. _

"_Dad, I don't want Rory to feel like this place is off-limits to her." Clearly, Logan wasn't in the mood to obey his father. _

"_It's a place of business, Logan," Mitchum said dryly, "You do not need to be distracted right now, and she is a distraction." _

"_So you treat her like she's worthless?" Logan questioned offended. "So, it's okay for you two to joke of dinner at the Club, but suddenly it's a distraction when she's in my office…" _

"…_.showing you her purchases of the day," the senior Huntzberger interrupted. "What did you do? Give her an unlimited amount on the black card?" _

_Logan crooked an eyebrow, "Frankly, I don't think that's any of your business. And more to the point – she wasn't showing me the purchases of the day - she was craving coffee!" _

_He said it as if it explained everything, and a smile crept over his face at the thought of a coffee-crazed Rory standing in his office. Logan noticed the confused look in his father's eye. "Anyway," he waved the images out of his mind, "You wouldn't understand. It's a…thing." _

"_Obviously," Mitchum nodded, somewhat surprised by how defensive and caring his son was being. Somewhere Mitchum always thought that Logan was "just doing the right thing" for the baby's sake. They never talked about family, since this was a place of business and all, but Mitchum started to realize how rooted Rory and Logan's relationship was. _

"_So, is she upset?" _

_His father's question caught him off guard. He always needed to be careful what he said around Mitchum. One wrong word, too much emotion or not enough information could open a whole other can of worms. _

_Logan weighed his words carefully, "Of course she's upset. She's pregnant, she's emotional, her husband is working crazy 100-hour weeks, we barely have anytime to share a meal together…." _

_He paused, noticing Mitchum's features beginning to soften, signaling Logan to switch gears, "So imagine how she feels when she shows up my office, to spend a few minutes with me, and her father-in-law sends her away…." _

"_I see," Mitchum nodded slowly, "It's quite a bit of pressure on you kids…" _

_To an outsider this would sound like compassion, though Logan knew it was another test. Saying something along the lines of oh, the pressure is killing us, effectively killed any potential you might have had within the company, since, in Mitchum's eyes it was an admission of being weak._

_However, Logan knew this game well, so the right answer flowed effortlessly from his lips. _

'_We manage." _

"_Good man," Mitchum sighed and looked at the black leather couch where Rory had been napping, "I'd better send the girl some flowers…" _

"_What?" _

"_To apologize," _

"_Well, well, I must be going deaf…" Logan smirked. The Huntzberger men had a complicated relationship. It flowed from unbearable tension, to easy breezy in a matter of minutes. _

"_Cut it, son" Mitchum pointed his finger at Logan, "Twenty long stemmed pink roses?" _

"_Have you met Rory?" Logan asked sarcastically. _

"_It's what your mother gets – I've got the florist on speed dial…" Mitchum pulled out his phone. _

"_Wow, romantic," Logan muttered under his breath. He sighed, and smiled since he realized that he had the upper hand in this situation. _

"_Look, Dad, call her up to apologize, you don't need to send her something…." _

"_But…"Mitchum interjected. It was really the only way men of Hartford society knew how to apologize and Logan understood that. _

"_Well, sunflowers are her favorite, but she read an article about certain flowers affecting baby's sense of smell later in life or something…" _

_Mitchum crooked his eyebrow in confusion. _

"_It was in the middle of the night …" he said by way of explanation, "So, maybe chocolate or baked goods. She likes cherry bonbons, lemon Danishes, chocolate chip muffins and every cookie on the planet. However, she is paranoid, so she might think that Shira via you is sending her chocolate to fatten her up… "_

_Mitchum chuckled, "I wouldn't put it past your mother." _

"_You can always get her movie tickets and a popcorn maker. Jimmy died the other day and we haven't gotten a new one," Logan bobbed his head as he contemplated this. It was not a bad idea. _

"_Jimmy?" _

"_The popcorn maker," Logan clarified. _

"_You employ someone to make popcorn?" Mitchum asked in disbelief. _

"_No, that's what we call the machine…" Logan smirked. _

"_Okay, Jimmy it is." Mitchum shook his head and quickly typed a reminder in his phone, for later. He looked proudly at his son. Logan had grown up tremendously in the last six months or so. He had is career on track and a seemingly loving, caring, equal relationship. _

"_You know your wife," Mitchum nodded. _

"_I know my wife," Logan nodded in response, as a smile crept over his face. _

_Mitchum could not help feeling a pang of jealousy. Over the years, he had grown fond of Shira, but it was not a smoking hot firecracker, his and her towels kind of love. She was a fresh-faced twenty something; straight off, the bus from Hicksville and it was painfully obvious that they were not compatible. Mitchum kept her around for entertainment purposes only, though when she became pregnant with Honor all he could do was become her lawfully wedded husband. _

"_Keeping me home for a weekend would be a good gift to Rory, too," Logan semi-joked as he felt like he and his father had reached a new level of understanding. _

_Mitchum shook his head, focusing back on business, "Best rent the whole damn movie theater, son." _

_Logan shot his father a disbelieving look. "What?" _

_Mitchum slowly sat down on one of Logan's desk chairs, "You got the job." _

"_I thought I'd find out three weeks from now?"he asked confused. _

"_Milton has plans," Mitchum replied shortly. _

"_What kind of plans?"_

"_We are launching Travel Magazine two weeks earlier, making it public that you are our new Senior Consultant and will be working on re-creating the whole on-line market for HPG." _

_He was excited, but at the same time he knew it sounded too good to be true. "What's the catch?" he asked unfazed. _

"_Well, to get the magazine out on time we have to go into total lock-down for the next three weeks. No one from the outside world for three weeks, until we get the magazine straightened out." _

'_But," Logan tried, but his father shot him down. _

"_No buts – it's classic Milton." The excitement for this new business venture was obvious in Mitchum's voice. _

"_But, three weeks…" _

"_What's three weeks in a life time?" Mitchum asked._

"_A lot for a baby!" he countered. _

_Logan tried to wrap his mind around what just happened. He got the Senior Consultant position. He would almost be his own boss. It was the second highest position in the company; Mitchum's of course, being the highest. Mitchum was known for letting the Senior Consultants pretty much run the show, with him only intervening when necessary._

_Mitchum essentially gave Logan the paper. At the same time, three weeks away from Rory, no e-mail, no phone, no contact. He knew that the second doctor's appointment was scheduled next week, so he would be missing that. He would be missing her, worrying about her. What if something happened to the baby? _

"_Son, you've got this job. It is __your__ job. Surely, Rory will support you." _

_Logan blinked, as he contemplated this. It would take some convincing, but Rory would let him go. He knew that. She was not really a fan of him working for HPG, but she understood that this was the corporate position he craved. He also knew that she would think it was some twisted way Mitchum was out to get her and that a new popcorn maker was not going to smooth everything over. The frustration he imagined in Rory's eyes, made place for the eagerness he saw in his father's eyes. His father wanted – needed – him there. _

"_Okay" Logan stuck out his hand. _

_Mitchum shook it, "Okay. Let's get to work." _

* * *

The following morning Rory awoke, from a dead sleep to the sound of the shower running. She stayed in her warm bed for a minute, contemplating what to do with her day when last night's events came tumbling back to her.

_Every. Last. Word._

She jumped out of bed and excitedly made her way over to the bathroom, and brushed her teeth as she did every morning.

"Ace?" Logan questioned.

She mumbled something incomprehensible, but as soon as she rinsed she pulled open the shower curtain, revealing a very naked Logan.

"What are you doing?" He smirked. He was happy to see her.

"Brushing my teeth," she replied innocently.

"Why?"

"So I could do this," she stood up on her tippy toes, leaned in and gave him a sweet kiss, not minding that the shower water was spraying her navy blue Yale pajamas.

"Well, well," he smirked as the pulled apart. She closed the lid on the toilet, sat down, and watched him. She was waiting for him to spill, but he was not buying into it.

"So, do you come here often?" Logan joked, "Or is watching someone shower a new thing for you?"

She continued eyeing him shamelessly – he was her husband after all. "No, it's a new thing," she replied, as he turned around exposing his lean back and perfect rear to her, "but I'm not disappointed," she smirked, copying a page from his book for once.

He laughed heartily, turned and looked at her. "Why don't you join me?"

"Babe," she shook her head, "That'll never fit. I'm HUGE."

"You aren't huge," he sighed, "and even if you were – this shower is king sized." He raised his eyebrows seductively.

"I'll just enjoy the view…"

"Oh Ace, what fun is that?" He splashed a little water on her, "You can live a hundred years, without really living for a minute…"

She laughed at his old college pick-up line. She later admitted to him, that those words made her love him, and she thought it was plain mean to use them against her now. At the same time, she couldn't help but laugh. She bit her bottom lip, looking like a calculated seductress as she watched the effect this little shower escapade was having on Logan's body.

She wanted more than to enjoy the view.

She held out her hand, he grabbed it to help her get up, as she giggled, "You still need to tell me about Mitchum….."

"Not now, Ace," he said between passionate kisses. He swiftly pulled her pajama top over her head, and ever the gentleman, extended his hand and pulled her into the shower.

* * *

After the sultry shower, Rory lay sprawled out on the bed, grinning as she watched Logan hurriedly get ready for work.

"What time is it, Ace?" he asked as he stuck his head out of the closet.

"7.35," she replied, "Why?"

"Just, you know," he sighed, "Running late…"

Rory rolled off the bed, and walked over to him. "You should be relaxed after that shower, "she said sweetly as she encircled her arms around his waist, "not tense…."

"I know," he shot her a half smile, "It was great – but Mitchum…."

"Ah, yes," Rory pulled away from the embrace as she remember that she still needed to be filled on that converstation, "Every. Last. Word." She shot him a pointed look.

"I know, I know," he nodded as he fixed his tie, "I'll tell you tonight…"

"You won't be home 'till four in the morning…." Rory shot back half-jokingly, half-seriously.

"You don't know that," Logan defended weakly.

"Please, I know how HPG operates," Rory retorted.

"Not for much longer," he muttered.

"What?"

"Nothing," he was quick to say, and continued fumbling with his tie.

"Logan," She touched his arm lightly, forcing him to turn towards her.

"It was nothing, Ace…"

"Yes, yes it was," she said somewhat aggressively, "And it has Mitchum written all over it."

She crossed her arms across her chest.

"Ace," he rolled his eyes.

"Logan," she sighed, growing out of patience. "Just tell me,"

He slowly picked up a pair of tan shoes, and whispered, "I got the job."

"The senior consultant?"

"Yeah," he nodded slowly.

"Isn't that what you wanted?" She noticed how he looked agitated and upset, "Uh, not to be rude but why aren't you happier about this? We had a fight that went down as the Great Fight of February for crying out loud!" she rambled.

He shot her a soft smile, "Because, Mitchum and Milton…."

She rolled her eyes, "What? Want you to go on some secret mission before they let you in the company?"

"Kind of – we are re-launching the magazine and we have to go on lock-down the next three weeks. No phones, no email, no contact with the outside world," he spoke solemnly.

"What?"

"Just work and coffee," he tried to joke.

"That's insane!" Rory threw her arms up in the air in rage.

"I'm sorry…"

"But, the job is more important. It doesn't matter that this means you'll miss the second doctor's appointment, or more baby shopping, or baby shower planning. It's okay for you to be holed up and drink coffee while I listen to Emily and Shira blab on about pink cupcakes and Nicole Richies' midwife," she spewed in anger.

"Rory, I never went to those lunches anyway…"

"That's not the point – you were out on the golf field with Richard and Mitchum. You were there if I needed you. Now, Mitchum's taking everything away!"

"The whole company is on lock-down Rory," Logan lectured her; "It's not fair if I get to keep my phone. People are upset as it is, since I swooped in and got the Senior Consultant job as it is…."

She remained silent, as tears welled up in her eyes.

"Ace…" he rubbed her shoulder. "It's three weeks…"

"Yeah, 21 days," she wiped a stray hair off her face, "I hate this. I mean, it started out with working late, then weekends, now this – what else, Logan?"

"Nothing, Rory, I'm Senior Consultant – we write our own hours."

"Do you have that in writing? Is a contract signed?"

"No, but, it's …." He searched for the word he was looking for, "it's the way it is."

Rory shot him a pointed look, "Three weeks."

"Three weeks," he nodded in reply.

"When do you leave?" she asked, bitterness lacing her tone.

She caught the guilty look on his face. Tomorrow night at midnight,"

"What?! Midnight?" Rory was outraged, "Is Mitchum running the freaking CIA?"

"Ace…" he sighed defeated.

"No," she held up her hand, "I know. I _get it." _That wasn't a lie. She honestly understood that he needed to do this. And he couldn't stand up against Mitchum, not yet at least. It was just bad. The timing, being alone, being pregnant.

"It's just…" she swallowed as more tears filled her eyes, "_hard_."

He stepped forward and embraced her, "I know. I don't want to go…"

She wanted to say 'don't go', but she knew she could not. She could not be selfish. "But you have to,"

"Yeah."

The couple remained in silence for a few moments, until a small, bitter laugh escaped Rory. "That damn OB-GYN is going to think Mr. Huntzberger doesn't exist."

Logan smiled wryly as he knew it was the truth. "I'll be home for the birth, I promise."

"Don't make a promise you can't keep, Logan…" she warned.

Rory immediately felt guilty, and cast her gaze towards the plush carpet. Sure, she felt bad, but she could not help the words that escaped her mouth.

"Hey," Logan gently rubbed her cheek with his index finger, "I'll be there…"

"It's eight o'clock" Rory said as she caught the bright red numbers on her alarm clock.

"Shit!" Logan said, and placed a quick kiss on her cheek before rushing off to the closet once more. Comfort-time was over, business-Logan had taken over.

Rory remained quiet as she watched Logan pack the rest of his things for work. She liked it when he was home. His mannerisms, watching him getting ready in the morning fascinated her. She loved being with him, laughing with him, or cuddling up and watching a movie together.

She felt the baby kick gently, signaling that she was awake. It still startled her, but after Logan's life-saving Google search her nerves calmed a bit. That's why she needed him. He could calm her worst nerves. He knew her, and she hated to admit it, but she depended on him. To pay the bills, protect her, make sure the door is locked at night, order pizza and pick it up, so she did not have to deal with the sexed-up 17-year-old delivery boy, staring at her larger than normal, pregnancy-induced boobs. She thought about him leaving, and hated the idea of being a lone in the City for the next three weeks.

"Hey," she said a little hesitantly, "I think I'm going to go to Stars Hallow, spend some time with my Mom, get baby tips from Lane…"

"When I'm away, you mean?" he asked.

"Yeah," she nodded, trying to sound upbeat.

"Sounds like a plan, Ace," his voice came from the closet and she noticed how distant he sounded. It was his business tone.

He emerged from the closet, and walked over to her. "It'll be fine. What's three weeks in a lifetime?"

_A lot for a baby! _she thought. "Yeah, it'll be fine." Rory said, mustering up the tiniest bit of enthusiasm.

"Just tell me when you want to go; I'll get a car and driver set up. I don't want you to drive all that way."

She nodded, and he leaned in to kiss her goodbye, pulling away and placing a gentle kiss on her stomach. "I love you!"

"Love you too," she whispered and nervously bit her lip.

She heard the front door slam shut and sat there, overwhelmed, for a while, before reaching for her cell phone and hitting speed dial.

"Gilmore House – where your pleasure is our priority,"

"MOM!" Rory yelled into the phone, "What if Grandma was calling?"

"Caller-id, sweets," Lorelai laughed, "What's up?"

"Just wanted to make sure you haven't converted my room into a gym, or something…"

"Go wash your mouth. A Gilmore never exercises!"

Rory chuckled, but it wasn't her usual happy laugh.

"Hon," Lorelai asked, "What's up?"

"I need to come home," Rory said sadly.

"Do I need to pull out the trundle?" Lorelai asked, though she knew the answer.

"No."

* * *

_Soooooooooo? Let met know!! :)_


	30. Chapter 30

**Ok. So, I wasn't planning to update, since I wanted to wait for feedback on chapter 29 (that's a fancy way of saying waiting for more reviews) but I started writing tonight, and this just flowed. I had wanted to take this chapter a very different way, but apparently, this was more appealing to me. **

**Lorelai has always played a key part in the Logan and Rory relationship, so I wanted her to be able to put her 2 cents in, as well. It's not very fluffy but the next chapter will be. Okay, enough rambling from me.**

**Thanks to all of you for reviewing and *yay* for Krazy Karah for being the 400****th**** reviewer! I can't believe this story got 400 reviews! I'm so jazzed! 61 fav's and 145 alerts! That's INSANE! All I can type is: THANKS YOU GUYS ROCK! **

**Hope you enjoy this chapter! Like always, let me know! **

**Enjoy, **

**Gilmoregirl19**

**Disclaimer: All the credit goes to ASP! **

**PS: I will most definitely be updating NSSL next… I think… Maybe… Anyway, when I do – it'll be good!  
PPS: Thinking about babynames for the baby - I've always called it baby G in this story, short for Girl or Gilmore, whichever why you decided to interpertet it. Anyway, any burning desires regarding the name? Let me know! **

* * *

So, what's the count? 17 days without hearing from him?" Lorelai said coolly as she cocked her head to the side.

"Mom," Rory sighed irritated as she lifted her gaze from her cell, "He can't call, you know that. I've told you a million times!"

She deliberately took a French fry off her mother's plate and shoved it in her mouth.

"That's a lame-ass excuse, babe," Lorelai replied as she grabbed a fry off her daughters plate, "he's practically running the company. If anyone, he should be able to sneak out and make a call to his pregnant wife!"

Lorelai's words swirled in her brain. She agreed with her mother to some extent, but she did not want to resent Logan for this. She knew it was important to him. She understood that Logan wanted that recognition from his father.

In the end, if that meant being away from her and the baby for three weeks than that's what needed to be done. She sincerely hoped that this was it, though. No more 100-hour weeks, no more weekends at the office. She wanted him home, dammit! Her mother's nagging on the subject did not do anything to help.

"He can't, Mom," she rolled her eyes. It seemed as if they were having this conversation every other day. "He has to work."

"Okay," Lorelai said, though it was obvious she was not convinced.

The conversation stopped and a tense silence filled the void. Each Gilmore girl was now interested in the plate of fries before them, and tried her best to avoid eye contact with the other.

Rory loved being in Stars Hallow; it was like chicken soup for her soul. She loved walking through her hometown, sipping a small coffee – the only amount Luke would give her – or reading a novel in the gazebo. She loved meeting up with Lane at Westons' and picking her brain on pregnancy and motherhood. She loved watching Pipi Longstocking in the small movie theater, or stopping by Luke's and listening in on the town gossip and watching the slow moving world of Stars Hallow go by.

The first few days had been awkward, mostly since she was the talk of the town. Rumors spread that Logan had left her, and that she was a mess. She immediately put an end to that at the town meeting, but it didn't stop Miss Patty and Babette dropping by with relationship advice, or every other person in the town dropping by with a homemade casserole, since apparently that's what you eat when you are rumored to be a pregnant divorcee.

Being back home with her Mom was nice, she talked to her on the phone every day, but nothing beat sitting out on the porch and gabbing face-to-face. However, her mother needed to drop the grudge she had. Rory wanted her mother to support her, not bitch about was a jerk Logan was being.

Rory's phone vibrating pulled her from her thoughts. She picked up the phone and stared at it, confusion clearly written on her face.

"Are you going to pick that up?" Lorelai asked, frustration still lacing her tone.

"It's Logan," Rory said softly, and held up the phone to her mother, so she could see.

"Well, pick up," Lorelai urged, "It must be important, if he's breaking the rules…."

Rory shot her mother a pointed look, before pressing the green button and answering the call.

"Hello?"

"Ace!" Logan practically yelled into the phone, causing her to smile.

"Logan, what? Why? I thought you weren't supposed to call for another 4 days? Hang up, if you are going to get in trouble…" she rambled.

She had planned to be calm and collected when he called. She wanted to sound as if she hadn't been lazing around Stars Hallow, waiting for her phone to ring. She knew she didn't sound that way though. She sounded dependent and she hated herself for it.

"Slow down, Ace," he laughed, happy to hear her voice, "It's good. We are done."

"How?" she asked, "I thought Mitchum was running this CIA-thing for 21 days, and it's only been…."

"17! I know!" he laughed, "The re-launch is set. The staff is recruited, financing and advertising for the first months secured, the web is up, software installed. Ace, it's going to be so big!" he said oozing with pride and enthusiasm. "Hell, we even have the invitations sent out for next week's launch party. Big, big names will be coming. It's the industry bash of the year…"

"That's great, babe," Rory slowly nodded into the phone, her tone not coming close to the enthusiasm Logan had for the matter. She was happy for him, but unsure what role she had in all of this.

Her uncertainties went unnoticed by him. "I'm getting into a limo right now, and I'll be in Stars Hallow in a few hours, okay?"

"You are coming here?" she asked incredulously.

She caught her mother's disapproving look. Rory just shook her head at her mother.

"Ace, I haven't seen you in 17 days!" he laughed, "Where else would I go?"

"I don't know," she smiled since she loved that he wanted to see her first, "Home, get some sleep…. You must have worked like crazy to wrap up the mission early…"

"It was my pleasure," he paused, before continuing, "You do want me to come, right?"

"Definitely, I…" she stopped and emphasized, "_We've _missed you."

Rory noticed her mother's infamous eye-roll.

"I've missed my girls, too," Logan said, "How's the baby?"

"Perfectly fine," Rory smiled as she brushed her hand over her now very pregnant belly, "You won't believe how much she's grown!"

"I can imagine," Logan sighed. "The appointment went well?"

"Yeah," Rory nodded, "Everything's normal. Lane went with me."

"Good, good. I'm glad," he said. "I can't wait to see!"

"Me too," Rory was glowing. She listened to Logan continue, as she watched her mother pick up her purse and stand up. She covered the receiver with one hand and whispered, "Mom".

"Ace?" Logan asked.

"I'm so sorry, babe, I have to go…"

"No, it's fine." He paused, 'Lorelai is okay, right?"

"Yeah," she lied, "she's setting up the trundle as we speak…"

"Okay," he nodded, "See you in a bit. Love you."

"Love you, too"

Rory hung up the phone and followed her mother who now walking down the street.

"Mom!" Rory called after her. Lorelai quickened her pace.

Rory followed her mother, intermittently calling out her name, but Lorelai did not respond. She followed her mother all the way home, though speed walking was not an easy feat being six months pregnant.

"Could you stop?" Rory called out of breath, as the girls approached the steps.

Lorelai whipped her head around, "Seriously, Rory?"

"What!" she exclaimed in confusion, "What did I do?"

"I thought I raised you better," Lorelai said, disappointment evident in her tone.

Rory touched her mother's shoulder lightly, "What?"

"Oh, come on!" Lorelai exclaimed. "Oh, Logan, I can't wait for you to come home. Oh, I love you, Oh, _we've_ missed you. Oh, the baby has grown _so_ much! Oh, _sure,_ come to Stars Hallow." Lorelai spoke in an extremely high pitch and scrunched up her face as she talked.

"I do not talk like that," Rory replied, before continuing angrily, "And, so what if I did? He's my husband, Mom!"

"So what?" Lorelai questioned, "That gives him the right to treat you like crap?"

"He doesn't treat me like crap!" Rory was offended.

"Oh, no, you are right," Lorelai crossed her arms over her chest, "That's why you sat in your pajama's for two weeks, that's why you didn't go out of your apartment. That is why Finn needed to take you maternity clothes shopping. That is why Lane took you to the doctor's office. That's why you are in Stars Hallow now!"

Rory could not believe what she was hearing, "Mom, that's not how it went down and you know it. I was depressed – I lost my job! I wanted to stay home. And, I wanted to stay in Stars Hallow. And, Logan sent me down here with a car and driver. He made sure I could get down her, and back to New York for the appointment, comfortably…."

"Sure, yeah, nothing says I love you like a driver."

Rory sighed in frustration. "He needed to go into lock-down. This job …"

"Doesn't matter," Lorelai said defiantly, "He should have been there for you, Rory. He should have been home …."

"Stop," Rory cut her off, "That's in the past, Mom. We are past that. Where is this coming from? You were his biggest fan; you helped him plan the wedding for crying out loud!"

"He works for HPG," she stated simply.

"So?"

"Once he signs that contract, you better prepare to become a Hartford Wife and take your rightful place in society." Lorelai mocked Emily's tone.

"Stop it," Rory commanded, "That's not true,"

"Like hell it is!" Lorelai gesticulated wildly, "I grew up there. I know Shira and Mitchum from when I was a kid. He was always on business. What makes you think it'll be different this time? You'll be a fundraising, baby making, nanny hiring machine!" She paused, "That's not you, Rory."

"Logan's not like that. He would want me to work," she retorted.

"Maybe he does. But you are forgetting one small, but oh so crucial detail: he works for Mitchum," Lorelai shot her daughter a pointed look, "And Mitchum is all but traditional."

"Logan won't let that happen," Rory said, "He'll stand up to Mitchum."

"Just like he stood up to him to get off this little business trip or like how he stood up to him to get off to go to your first sonogram. Or would it be the time when he stood up to him so that he wouldn't have to go in to the office at 1 in the morning?" Lorelai questioned angrily.

"That's not fair, Mom." Rory shook her head in disgust; she couldn't believe how her mother was reacting. "He was training for the position. He needed to put in his time!"

"Is that what he told you?" she asked.

Rory did not reply, instead she bit her lip, angry at her mother for awakening the doubts that already filled her brain.

"Look," Lorelai sighed and placed both her arms squarely on her daughter's shoulders. "I don't want you to get hurt."

"I won't, Mom," Rory replied.

"He already has," she spoke softly; "I am worried that he will do more damage."

Rory angrily broke away from her mother's embrace and attempt at reconciliation and stomped towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"To pull out the trundle!"

"Why?"

"For my husband – that's what we Hartford Wives do!"

* * *

Lorelai angrily followed her inside, though she walked over to the kitchen and angrily set a pot of coffee. She impatiently tapped her fingers on the countertop, waiting for the beverage to brew and to relieve her of the rage that flowed through her veins.

She poured a cup of coffee, and gulped it down. After a few cups of coffee, she calmed down, and thought about Rory. Lorelai stood by her word – she thought Logan was being an ass for putting his work before Rory and Baby G. It was not fair to them. Rory's dependency on him concerned her. She raised her daughter to be an independent woman, not someone who broke. She knew the pregnancy was taking a toll on Rory's hormones, but still, she knew her daughter was putting on a happy face.

If Lorelai had not dragged her daughter out of bed every morning, Lorelai knew she would lie in bed all day and watch reruns of Dr. 90210. Granted, Lorelai loved the perverted plastic surgeon as much as the next girl, but it was totally out of character for her daughter.

She took another sip of her coffee. She knew Logan was coming this way, and she did not want it to be awkward. She believed Rory and Logan could work this out, and it wasn't her place to meddle…yet. Emily meddled. And, if she had any say it in, Lorelai Gilmore was not morphing into a hipper, younger version of Emily.

She sighed, and placed her empty Spice Girls collectors mug down, before making her way over to Rory's room.

"Hey," she said softly as she knocked on Rory's door.

"Hey," Rory answered, and got up from the position she had be laying in, revealing a tear-streaked face to her mother.

"I'm sorry, Mom," she swallowed.

"Ah, babe," Lorelai sighed, walked over to her daughter and hugged her.

"It's hard," she mumbled into her mother's chest, "I get that this job is important to him, and it's important to us – our family. But, I want him home; I want him to be hands-on with the baby, I want him to be there…."

"I know," her mother stroked her hair.

"I don't want to be Emily Gilmore 2.0" Rory continued, "I know Logan, and he wouldn't want that. But Mitchum…"

"Do you believe Logan?" Lorelai asked. She felt Rory nod on her chest. "Then you have to trust that. It's your relationship, Rory. And, you love him. He is the One – you proved that just now." Lorelai paused, and continued slowly, "If you can deal with the business aspect, than I have to get over it. But, I don't want you to depend on a man, hon."

Rory pulled away from the embrace, ready to deny that she depended on Logan, but in her heart, she knew her mom was right. "I know," she said in a small voice.

"Just, do something for yourself, babe. Do something that doesn't involve him, do it for you," Lorelai told her.

Rory bobbed her head in contemplation, "Okay," she agreed. "Uh, so no more fight?"

"No more fight," Lorelai nodded.

"I'm glad," Rory yawned, "Things will work out, Mom. Once he's settled at HPG and the baby's born…."

Lorelai nodded, still not convinced, but that went unnoticed by her daughter.

She got up and placed a small kiss on Rory's forehead, "Take a nap, babe – you want to be wide awake when your suit in shining limo arrives…"

* * *

Lorelai sat on the steps of her front porch, waiting for the limo to pull up. She decided she would be polite with Logan, though firm. Technically, she wasn't meddling, she justified to herself, she was just making sure Logan remembered what he'd promised her, otherwise, she would have to kick his ass.

As the black limo pulled up, Babette came running out of her house.

"A limo?" she yelled at Lorelai, "Is George Clooney finally coming to sweep you off your feet?"

"Don't think Luke would be too happy about that," Lorelai laughed.

"Ah, but it's George Clooney, hon!" she said eyeing the limo.

Lorelai just smiled, as she waited for the limo door to open.

"Logan!" Babette screamed hysterically, "What is he doing here? You better kick him where it hurts," she pointed her finger at Lorelai, "If not, Mortey will take care of him! He's tall!" She held her hand way above her head, to emphasize her point.

Logan made his way up the driveway, and shot Babette and Lorelai a confused look.

"It's alright, Babette," Lorelai waved, "I've got it covered."

"Alright, sweetie, but you know where to find me!" Babette made her right hand into a fist, and punched her open left hand with it before returning to her house.

Logan scrunched up his face, 'What's that about?"

Lorelai laughed, though it was not as friendly as usual. 'You know, us towns people and the gossip mill."

The dazed look remained plastered on Logan's face, so Lorelai clarified. "When my pregnant daughter moves back in for the better part of three weeks, people tend to think that means her husband left her."

Logan's eyes widened, "What?"

"We've got divorce-casseroles to prove it."

Logan shook his head, "I'm sorry, I …."

"Are you, Logan? Sorry?" she interrupted him harshly. "I mean, I thought you were doing this for the greater good. How can you be sorry for that?"

She cocked her head to the side, "Good for you, good for the family, GREAT for Mitchum and good for HPG."

She paused, "Well, maybe not so good for Rory, but hey – we can't all be winners, right?" she mock-playfully punched him on the shoulder. "Well done, champ."

"Excuse me?" Logan asked confused, "What is going on?"

Lorelai swallowed hard, "You hurt her." She immeditaly noticed the remorse on his face, "And, you were not supposed to hurt her."

He shook his head in disbelief. "Since when did you take a page from the Emily Gilmore handbook?" he asked her softly, though the anger was clear in his voice. "I get that Rory vents, and tells you things. But, we were good before I left. Solid. I asked her, and she wanted me to go."

"Like she had a choice," Lorelai countered in disgust. "Rory loves you – she wants you to be happy. But you have got to be _very_ careful how you prioritize."

"Don't you think I know that?" he asked her, "Why else do you think I worked 19 hour days? For my health? Because I like it?"

Lorelai shrugged.

"No," he answered for her, "So I could be home a couple days earlier."

"Oh, well," Lorelai said sarcastically, 'Doesn't that make you the hero!"

"I'm not out to be a hero, Lorelai," he shook his head and sighed deflated.

"No, you are out to be Mitchum 2.0!" she exclaimed.

"No!" he shouted back.

"Yes!" she yelled, "You are. Why else would he pick you and groom you? Get this, kid, you are his protégé and you are expected to BE like him whether you want to or not."

"Really?" Logan asked frustrated, his voice going louder each question, "You think Mitchum would rush home to be with his wife? Get this, Lorelai, I actually love my wife _and_ my baby! Do you think Mitchum would invite his wife to the launch party? Do you think Mitchum would clear a day to go dress shopping with his wife for that launch party?"

He dug around in his suit pocket, "Do you think Mitchum would invite his in-laws and book a room at the Waldorf Asteria for them as a thank-you for supporting his wife during a rough time?" He handed her the tickets for the party and the reservation for the hotel, "Do you?" he asked again, softer this time.

"Probably not, kid," Lorelai said, eyeing the tickets and reservations, "But you do realize you don't have to do this. You don't have to buy us."

"I'm trying to say thank you," he answered honestly.

"You wouldn't have to if …"

"If I had been home," he finished, "I know. I do not want to be working, but I need to – for us. In the long run, it's the right thing for my family. Rory knows that."

"I know, she knows," Lorelai responded.

"Then," Logan sighed, "Take the tickets, and relax. We will figure this out. It will calm down once I'm settled and the baby's born."

Lorelai let his words sink in, "Rory told me the same thing."

"She's a smart girl," Logan shot her a half smile, "Lor, I know you are worried, but you don't have to kick my ass… yet, okay?"

Lorelai nodded. "Yeah, okay."

"Can I see Rory, now?" He caught the twinkle in her eye. She could deny him access, but she wasn't that cruel. Protective, yes, but cruel….

"Sure, she was napping, though."

He walked towards the door, leaving Lorelai out on the lawn. He stopped short turned around and hugged Lorelai.

"Thank-you," he said.

"For calling me out on my crap and for kicking my ass when I need it."

She laughed, and she knew that, eventually, it would be all right. "Well, that's my specialty!"

* * *

SO? Whaddyathink? I know - mabye broken record-ish but I PROMISE that there won't be any fighting in the next chapter. The launch party will be.....what it is.... but it will also be wonderfully fluffy - at times :)


	31. Chapter 31

**So, I had wanted to post this Thursday as a little Thanksgiving present, but that didn't work out. However, technically it is still Thanksgiving weekend so: happy thanksgiving!**

**I'm extremely thankful for all the reviews – 33 on the last chapter! Yay! That just rocks my world! I'm insanely jazzed that you all seem to be loving this story so much! All the adds and everything, SO AWESOME!! Thank-you-thank-you-thank-you! And, just wanted to say a special thank you to SassyAnni for reviewing on like EVERY chapter of EVERYTHING I write, and I appreciate your constructive reviews SO much. That's not to say I don't LOVE you all that review because I do - but SassyAnni sort of sticks out.. I dunno... **

**This chapter was kind of hard to write, since I wanted to show that Rory & Logan have reached, like, an understanding in their relationship even though, now more than ever, there is this pressure from the outside. It might be a little over the top, but I hope I didn't go overboard. Let me know, okay? **

**The next chapter will be pretty exciting, so look out for that. I am not sure when I'll be able to update, though I recently bought Taylor Swift's new album and that inspired me for some reason….**

**Enjoy, **

**Gilmoregirl19 **

**Disclaimer: All the credit goes to ASP**

**PS: There is about a month time jump between the HPG Lockdown & the introduction party**

* * *

Logan tapped softly on Rory's bedroom door. He was anxious to see her again, without a doubt the 17-day HPG lockdown had been the hardest seventeen days in his life to date.

"Hey," he greeted gently as he opened her door, unsure whether she was awake. He noticed her stir, but instead of waking up, she rolled over and pulled the cover up higher.

He let out a contented sigh as he watched her sleep. Logan decided to relax on the small couch in the corner of Rory's childhood bedroom and read his book, instead of dealing with the wake of his discussion with Lorelai.

He was just happy to be near Rory again. Her presence always soothed his stressed-out soul. Eventually, Rory awoke; her yawning drew his gaze up from his book and he watched as she rolled over, yawned again and finally decided to sit up straight. Her hair was messy, and her make-up somewhat smudged. She yawned once more and blinked, trying to focus on the person sitting on her couch. The dazed, just-woken-up look vanished as soon a she realized it was Logan.

"Logan!" she greeted excitedly in a still-sleepy voice.

"Hey Ace," he smiled back calmly, "Sleep well?"

She nodded slowly, her smile growing as she took in his appearance. She could tell he was dead tired. Usually, he looked so put together but today his hair messy, white blouse wrinkled, his tie hung loosely around his neck and he had taken off his shoes. The bags under his eyes, and his unshaven face spoke volumes of what a Mitchum Huntzberger lock-down session had to be like.

"What are you reading?" she asked, as soon as she noticed he was holding a book in his hands.

"What to expect when you're expecting," he said, as he placed his bookmark in the book, got up from the couch and walked over to her small bed.

She laughed, "Why?"

"Why not?" he retorted and he pressed a kiss on her lips before letting himself fall on the bed next to her. "I missed you so much, Ace."

"I missed you more, Logan," she whispered as she wrapped his strong arms around her. "I've missed this,"

She felt him smirk as she positioned his arms around her now round belly, "Do you feel how strong her kicks are?

"Yeah," Logan nodded in amazement. He released himself from her grip and sat up straight on the bed, "Everything was fine at the doctor's?"

"Yes," Rory replied, flipping on her side, to meet his gaze, "Lane went with me… I thought I told you on the phone?" she asked.

"You did," Logan shot her a half smile; "I just wanted to double-check." He looked at her sincerely, "Look, Ace, I'm so sorry I couldn't…."

"Stop," Rory held her hand up in emphasis, "What did Lorelai say to you?"

Instead of replying, Logan looked away uncomfortably.

"Logan," Rory urged.

He ran his hand through his tousled hair, "She didn't say anything she didn't have the right to. She's worried about you… I just want to make sure you and I are good…"

"I'm sorry you had to endure the wrath of Lorelai Gilmore…" Rory shot a wry smile.

"Don't be," he shrugged, "Just tell me that you are okay,"

"I'm okay…. now," she nodded, "How 'bout you?"

"I'm okay….now," he mimicked her response, "I don't know what to say, Ace. Business trips bite it!"

"Don't I know it," Rory hugged him lightly, "This is the last one for a while, right?" She closed her eyes, waiting for the answer she was hoping to hear.

She felt him nod, "Yes."

Relieved, she opened her eyes, and she noticed the pregnancy handbook placed on her nightstand. "So, tell me about this book," she laughed, "Are _you_ expecting?"

"No," he laughed, "I was reading it for you,"

She looked at him incredulously, so he clarified "You know, I missed out on some stuff, so I had to catch up," he said somewhat sheepishly.

Rory knew he was being sincere; she caught the look in his eye as he flipped through the pages. "Like here," he said as he held open the book for her to see, "24 weeks, may experience carpal tunnel syndrome – uncomfortable tingling and numbness in the wrists and fingers. Common during pregnancy due to swelling and can put pressure on the nerve that runs through your wrists, causing numbness, tingling or pain."

He looked at her concerned, "Do you have carpal tunnel?"

"I, uh, don't know," she looked down at her hands, smiling at his concern, "I guess it's a little tingly at night."

Logan nodded knowingly, "That's because fluids that accumulate in your lower extremities during the day are redistributed to the rest of your body when you're lying down."

Rory shot him an incredulous glare, 'Excuse me?'

"What," he shrugged, "I read the book." He smirked.

She laughed sweetly, touched by his sudden involvement and pressed a gentle kiss on his lips, "You are just full of surprises."

"Want another one?" Logan asked wearily as he pulled away from the kiss.

"Maybe," Rory replied just as wearily, though she already knew where this little exchange was headed.

"Well," Logan raised his eyebrows, as if he was revealing a big surprise, "You are invited to the HPG re-launch party… "

Rory scrunched up her nose. She had absolutely no desire to attend a Huntzberger Publishing Group bash.

"Hey," he laughed, "Don't make a face. I have cleared my schedule; you and I are going fancy dress shopping. And, I invited your mom and Luke as a thank-you for looking out for us…"

"Did she take it as a thank-you or as a bribe?" Rory quipped.

"You really are your mothers' child," Logan grinned as he shook his head. "Come on Ace, it'll be fun…"

"Fun?" she cocked her head to the side.

"Well, maybe not _fun_," he acknowledged.

Rory sighed; she would go to the party anyway. Logan invited her, he wanted her there so she would go. She just liked to ruffle his feathers a little bit.

"I don't know, Logan…," she stated wearily.

"Oh, and the best part," Logan interrupted.

"What?"

"I'll be there…"

Rory smiled teasingly, "Well, in that case…."

* * *

"And a ginger ale for you," Logan laughed as he handed Rory her soda. "Was that a déjà vu for you, too?"

She smiled, before taking a sip of her soda, "That's what made me fall for you the second time around, you know."

"Really?"

"Oh, yes," she nodded teasingly, "I mean, sure your boyish good looks put you high on the list, but the ability to remember my favorite non-alcoholic non-coffee related drink really just put you over the edge…"

The couple had just arrived at the Huntzberger Re-Launch Party at the Plaza Hotel. Logan was nervous, since this party was much more than the re-launch of Travel Magazine; it was launching his career as senior consultant. It was important he made a good impression with the industry insiders this evening.

Rory had been nervous as well, since the last time she had attended a paper soiree she actually worked for a paper and wore a head turning, strapless gray size-three dress and five inch heels. Being here as a plus-one, donning a black maternity gown could make any girl insecure. However, Logan had melted her insecurities away and she was thoroughly enjoying her ginger ale and banter with him.

"Logan," Milton Howards deep voice boomed, "Tonight is your night, son."

"It's our night," Logan replied democratically, "We've all busted our tails for this…"

"Starting off humble, like your old man," Milton laughed.

Rory's gaze was fixed on Milton; she had followed his work religiously throughout her educational career. To her, he was much more impressive than Mitchum since he had not come from a moneyed background. She bit her lip nervously as she waited for Logan to introduce her.

The men chitchatted back and forth until Milton let his gaze linger on Rory.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Logan apologized, "This is Rory, my wife."

She smiled politely as she stuck out her hand, "It's such an honor to meet you. I mean, the way you turned the Post around in '01 and now HPG! It's just really… amazing," she gushed.

He looked at her, baffled that she dared commenting on the industry. "Quite a little analyst, isn't she?" Milton asked Logan, ignoring Rory.

"Uh," Logan was stunned by Milton's rudeness.

"I'm not an analyst," Rory said, "I was just, uh, acknowledging your work…" The hurt was evident in her tone.

Logan comfortingly placed his hand on the small of her back.

"I've seen you before," Milton said, suddenly directing his gaze towards Rory.

"Really?" she asked, wondering where that possibly could have been.

"Sure," Milton nodded, "Asleep on that couch in Logan's office." He shot Rory a smug smile. "Dreaming about my work no doubt," he laughed at his own terrible joke.

Logan laughed awkwardly, as the pain in Rory's eyes went unnoticed.

"Hey!" Lorelai greeted as she and Luke walked up to the trio, "You look amazing, honey."

"Thanks, Mom," Rory slightly tugged on her dress. She certainly didn't feel amazing.

"Logan," Lorelai nodded, "Big night, right?"

He nodded and shot her a quick smile. "Lorelai, Luke, this is Milton."

Milton coolly introduced himself, before saying, "Oh look, Andy Hills and Jim Toms of the Chronicle are here, I'll introduce you, Logan."

And with that, Milton led Logan away from Rory, Luke and Lorelai. He whipped his head around and shot them an apologetic smile. Rory just shook her head and gestured that she'd be fine. Her Mom and Luke were there, surely that would make the evening more bearable. And if not, the trio could always seek solace in the trays of tapas, chocolate covered strawberries and espresso brownies.

* * *

"So, who is he talking to now?" Lorelai whispered in Rory's ear as she took another strawberry from the tray. The party was now in full swing and Rory had not talked to Logan since Milton rudely dragged him away. For his part, Logan tried his best to escape from the little business chats, but he was the man of the hour and needed to be paraded around the room.

Rory, Lorelai and Luke followed "The Logan Show" from a corner of the ballroom.

"I think that's some investor or something," Rory replied, taking a sip from her soda. "Behind the scenes type of guy,"

"Like Big Poppa on The Real Housewives of Atlanta," Lorelai said.

"Exactly," Rory nodded, "I still can't believe Curtis isn't Nene's Daddy…"

"I told you so, kid," Lorelai laughed. She proceeded to do her 'told-you-so' dance, which consisted of wild arm movements combined with a constant 'I told you so' chant.

"Lorelai, stop that immediately," Emily said harshly. She led the group of six Hartford Women that were in attendance.

Lorelai stopped and rolled her eyes, as Emily directed her focus on Rory, "Oh, you look absolutely stunning!"

"If anything," Shira gushed, "Logan has an eye for picking out dresses!"

A polite wave of laughter flitted through the group of society woman, this time causing Rory to roll her eyes.

"Yes, thank heavens the boy can pick out dresses," Lorelai said. She had meant it jokingly, though it came out rather harshly.

"And what do you mean by that, dear?" Shira replied calmly through a plastered on society smile.

Rory nudged her mother gently, not wanting her marital issues with Logan discussed in a public area, much less with his society mother. Besides, it was his night and they had moved passed it...for the most part.

"Uh, that a nice dress makes up for a lot, I suppose," Lorelai replied through a copycat smile.

"Yes, it can," Shira nodded, honestly.

"Oh yes," one of the other society women piped up, "William once bought me an Oscar de la Renta gown – it really was the sweetest thing ever!"

The possible showdown between Lorelai and Shira Huntzberger was averted for yet another day. Rory shot her mother a thankful look, and Luke shook his head, 'Unbelievable."

Out of the corner of her eye, Rory saw a stressed-out Logan make his way over.

"I got you a drink," he said.

"Hey," she kissed him softly on the cheek, "Rough night?"

"It's all in a day's work," he sighed as she took the soda. "How 'bout you? You feeling alright? I didn't realize this was a stand-up thing. Normally there are tables…" he apologized.

"I'm tired," she admitted honestly, "but you do you thing. I'm fine right here,"

"Do you want to meet Jim from the Chronicle?" Logan asked.

"And risk a repeat of the Milton Howard treatment?" she cocked her head to the side, "I'm fine right here."

"I'm sorry about that," Logan shot her a small smile.

"Don't worry about it. I'm your plus-one. He doesn't know me any other way…" she tried to make excuse for Milton's behavior.

"Yeah, but…"

She gently placed her open hand on his chest, "Shh."

"Do your thing, get it over with. Maybe we'll get out of here in time to watch the new episodes of Dirty Jobs…"

He laughed, "Dirty Jobs?"

"What can I say," she shrugged. "Baby G likes his voice,"

"You keep telling yourself that," he chuckled before pressing a gentle kiss on her lips and walking off to meet Jim, an extremely skinny, middle-aged man, known for his evil editorial ways.

* * *

"Good to see you, Logan," Jim greeted him in his deceiving soft-spoken way. "Amazing party and congratulations on Travel Magazine."

A chorus of congratulations and hellos emerged from the group of mingling men.

"Thank-you, thank-you," he nodded, "Lots of long days, so we hope the work paid off."

"It did," Jim replied, as he took a tapas snack off the serving tray. "So, we were thinking about doing a little industry get together in San Francisco sometime in July…"

"Can't do it," Logan replied immediately, "The baby's due…"

Jim looked over his shoulder at the seven-month pregnant Rory, who was sharing a laugh with her mother.

"That's the wife? Pretty," he remarked.

"Yes, Rory," Logan replied, though he wanted to slap Jim for his slimy comment.

"Well, take her along," Jim shrugged.

"Uh," Logan shook his head, "She'll be giving birth," he clarified, as he felt angry towards Jim for being so disrespectful.

"Look, we were shooting for the first week of July, so…."

Logan raised his left eyebrow slightly in disbelief – how many times did he have to say he was not interested in getting together in July.

He sighed, "No, I don't think that'll work out. You know, these things don't really stick to a schedule…" He shot Jim a pointed look, indicating that he was being serious.

"It's your career, son," Jim shrugged indifferently, "Do what you have to do."

"_It's my life," _Logan thought enraged, but instead he replied diplomatically, "Maybe next time."

Logan caught Mitchum out of the corner of his eye; a perfect escape from toxic Jim.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, duty calls," cocking his head towards his father, "Was great talking to you, Jim."

* * *

"Poor girl, that Gilmore-turned-Huntzberger," Rory heard a female voice say sarcastically from outside her bathroom stall. She didn't dare move, as she listened to the conversation unfold. "I mean, that dazed look on her face. It's obvious she has no clue what the paper industry is about."

"Oh, I know. And she ought to, being married to Huntzberger, all."

"As if she was interested in the paper industry, Mel," the first voice sighed, "All she wanted was his baby!"

"That's low, even for a society skank!" the second voice paused, "Did you see that dress?"

"I know!" The first voice shrieked, "you'd think with all that money she'd be able to get something nicer…"

The girls shared an evil laugh, before continuing. "My god, can you imagine being with Logan Huntzberger?"

"Being with, or married to, Mel?" the first girl snickered. "Being with, _yes_. I mean, come on, that smile, those eyes and that hair. I bet his ripped under all those Armani business suits….but, married – I couldn't stand for it, girl."

"You think he cheats?" the girl asked in amazement.

"Definitely," the first voice exclaimed excitedly, "Yes she pregnant, but come on, look how fat she is if that's not anxiety eating, I don't know what is…"

"That's doesn't surprise me," Rory swung the bathroom door open, and spoke in an eerily icy tone.

"What?" The girl Rory had identified as Mel croaked.

Rory gave the pair a cool once over before answering. One was wearing a tight strapless cocktail dress, and the other was wearing a short brown skirt with a baby pink blouse, collar popped. Both wearing towering heels and much too much make up. The girls were young, but certainly old enough to know that the girl's bathroom is the worst place to gossip.

"That you don't know," Rory finally answered in that same calm ice-cold tone.

The other girl opened her mouth to speak, but Rory silenced her, "I think you've said enough, don't you?"

Rory continued, "You might want to consider a different profession," Rory glanced at the girl's name badge, "_Nadine_, since your journalistic skills are severely lacking."

"Uh," she tried to interrupt.

"No, it's still my turn." Rory held up her pointer finger and continued, " See, if you had actually gone to your classes instead of getting wasted and being easy you might actually have learnt something about journalism." She crossed her arms over her chest, "You would have known, for example, I was the editor of the Yale Daily News, and that Logan – that would be Mr. Huntzberger to you two – was my boyfriend."

She got a kick of the shocked expressions of the girl's faces. "It's a shocker, I know," she exclaimed sarcastically. "You would have also known that, of course, my being pregnant had nothing to do with 'bagging a Huntzberger' rather, with love, something you obviously know nothing about," she spoke slowly and softly though the anger was clear in her tone.

"And, for the record, he doesn't cheat – and if he did, I can assure you it wouldn't be with a girl like you."

She smartly stepped away from the pair, leaving them stunned in the wake of her icy rage.

* * *

She stomped away from the bathroom enraged, but strangely satisfied that she was able to vent out some of her frustrations on these two dumb girls. It was a paper soiree, society was there. She was married to a Huntzberger, she was a Gilmore - it came with the territory. She knew people would gossip, but to hear it first hand was like poison. And, this is how she coped. She wondered how Logan dealt with it all on a regular basis. She was so wrapped up in thought that she didn't even notice bumping into Logan.

"Ace," he said concerned, "Everything alright?"

"Hey," she greeted as she wrapped her arms around his neck, "It's been better…"

He hugged her tightly, comfortingly and kissed the top of her head. "I just have to give a little speech and then we'll get out of here. Can you hang in there for a little bit longer? "

"I'll be fine,"she nodded, suddenly feeling very tired. "Break a leg," she smiled softly as she watched him walk up towards the stage as her mother and Luke stood next to her.

Emily and Shira also joined, followed by Richard who handed Rory another ginger ale.

"Dad," Lorelai joked, "Her cut off was fifteen minutes ago. She'll be up all night!"

"Honestly, Lorelai, is that appropriate cocktail conversation?"

Rory and Lorelai just rolled their eyes.

"What's with the death stares from hooch 1 and hooch 2?" Lorelai whispered in Rory's ear.

"Oh, I'll fill you in later," she shot her mother a knowing look, "so not appropriate cocktail conversation…" She shared a smile with her mother as Logan finally took the stage.

"Good evening ladies and gentlemen," he started, "Thank-you for joining us this evening in celebrating two very important events at Huntzberger Publishing. Most importantly, tonight is about re-launching Travel Magazine. It's was a lot of hard work, but thanks to an incredibly dedicated team we have been able to turn the publication around, and we are sure it will see great success."

He paused, as a polite applause filled the room.

"Secondly," he continued once the applause died down, "Tonight marks my last night as a free man," a polite laughter flitted through the room, "as tomorrow I will officially start as part of the HPG senior consultancy team, joining Milton Howards in managing and advising our new projects."

Again, a round of applause went through the room.

"It is a great opportunity, one that I am very thankful for. It is an honor to be working for my father and Milton Howards; two men that have led this organization to extraordinary heights. I will do my best to follow in their footsteps.

Once more, the audience clapped.

"I'd like to thank all of you that have supported me in this endeavor, especially my wife, Rory," he locked eyes with her, and it was as if he spoke directly to her, "I know it's been tough on you, particularly with the baby. You will never know how much I love you for taking in all in your stride. And, on a side note, you are absolutely radiant tonight, Ace."

He paused, "Ladies and gentlemen, thank-you once again for celebrating with us tonight. Enjoy."

The room swelled with applause, as Mitchum and Milton looked proudly at his son. The slutty bathroom girls shared a disgusted look, Jim took a swig of his drink, burning with irritability. Lorelai and Luke beamed looking Rory, lovingly. Richard, Emily and Shira shared a proud smile, knowing that the Huntzberger-Gilmore union was a good thing all the way around.

It all went unnoticed by Rory and Logan, as they never broke eyecontact. Logan smiled as Rory mouthed, "Let's go."

* * *

_Soooooooooooooooooo? What did you think? Lemme know :) _


	32. Chapter 32

**Okay, you know an update is LONG overdue when SassyAni submits a review for chapter one. Her little blurb inspired me to write tonight amidst a crazy Christmas weekend, and I thought I wouldn't be able to post until after the holidays so a huge thank-you to the lovely Miss Ani for getting my butt in gear once again. **

**A little refresher: Logan and Rory are now totally committed and back on track. Logan just had is re-launch party, where is was introduced as a member of Milton's team. Now, as you might remember 'Old York' folded because some nasty creditors "suddenly" came a-calling and Old York couldn't cough up the money. The online mag filed for bankruptcy and had to shut its doors, effectively putting sweet Rory out of a job and causing her to sink into a depression, straining her relationship with Logan and the whole thing of drama that happened after that. **

**Well, let's just say this chapter resolves that little mystery and gives Rory (and Logan!) the opportunity to vent some of this pent up anger. **

**My patient readers (and even more patient are those crazy NSSL fans!) thank you so much for all the reviews (25 on the last chapter and like 170 alerts: crazy cool!) and all the constructive criticism! You guys ROCK. **

**Hope you all have an awesome Christmas (or whatever holiday you so choose to celebrate) and an even better 2009 – though I might be able to squeeze an update in before we ring in ohnine! **

**With love, **

**Gilmoregirl19 **

**Disclaimer: I SO do not own GG. **

* * *

Rory thought about how surprisingly smooth Logan's transition had been. Granted, he had only been a full-fledged member of the senior consultancy group for a little over two weeks, but he had managed to keep his weekends open and he tried to be home for dinner every night.

Mitchum and Milton gave him a lot of dissension for this, telling him that he was becoming a social outcast and missing prime negotiation opportunities but Logan stood his ground. So, what if he were to be considered a snob – he valued his time with Rory much more.

Meanwhile, Rory was in full-on nesting mode. She was excited about her baby shower in Stars Hallow. Rory and Logan were heading to small town America later this afternoon. This baby shower was bound to be better than the stuffy Hartford one her grandmother and Shira were planning.

When Rory wasn't dodging the gruesome twosome's bothersome phone calls, she read parenting magazines, baby name books and did preliminary comparisons on pre-schools.

The couple typically ate dinner together, and Logan always humored her, patiently listening to her as she pondered whether a move to Maryland or Oregon could be justified for the sake of their child's education. Once Rory finished her rant, Logan would tell her about his day.

The Group was following up with the aftermath of the successful Travel Magazine re-launch, before gearing up for the next re-launch. Rory hung on his every word, since Logan proved to be a great storyteller. He painted such a vivid picture; it was as if she was present at every meeting, and knew the people Logan described.

Tuning in to this real-life soap almost was the highlight of her day. Of course, she was tuned into the business side of Logan's stories, but the office scandal intrigued her even more.

She listened as Logan speculated if crazy Mary-Lou was sleeping with the pompous-guy-in-accounting and if front-desk Marsha was a part-time stripper, or if Bob-in-design was gay, straight or just plain metro sexual.

However, most of all, she was anxious to find out what the next take-over would be. Logan didn't know, but it was the question Rory was dying to have answered. Would it be a real paper or another on-liner? Was it 'Old York'?

Rory swallowed hard. She was standing in the elevator, riding the thirty odd stories to Logan's floor thinking about this. She bit her lip anxiously as she watched the numbers climb. What if it was Old York? She had come to terms with her unemployment and impending motherhood. She was more than okay – but was she okay enough to deal with her husband working at her former place of employment?

She sighed as the elevator pinged, opened and let her out on Logan's floor.

She couldn't answer her own question and so she decided that it was best to push it to the back of her mind. She was here to meet her husband for lunch. Nothing more, and nothing less.

She made her way down the long hallway, still somewhat distracted by her own thoughts. She stopped short at Milton Howard's door. She had always admired him; she had followed his work in college and admired him for his exquisite acquisition techniques.

She hated that he thought of her as an incompetent, childbearing machine rather than a completely capable, smart, witty woman with an exceptional knack for writing. She stood at his door, debating whether to pop in, and once again try to win him over.

She knocked softly and proceeded to enter the office. It was empty, except for a light peeking out from under a closed door on the far side of the room. She thought nothing of it, and promptly turned on her heel and set off to find her husband.

"Now, about Old York…," she heard Milton's booming voice declare.

Rory froze at the sound of his voice. She realized he was standing in whatever room was adjacent to his office.

"No," she heard Milton sigh, "You don't understand. We needed Logan for HPG. There was no two ways about it.

Mitchum had reservations, of course. He didn't want to guilt his son into working for him. Its business, not a freaking Oprah Special…" he sneered. "The boy needed to be here so I finally convinced Mitchum to reach out and try to persuade him."

Rory felt her heart pound in her chest as she continued to listen to Milton.

'Yes, yes, that's where Old York came into play, but not for the reasons you think…" He laughed evilly, "Granted, it was a successful start up and reached a new graphic, but _she_ worked there."

Rory's breath hitched as she tried to comprehend what Milton was revealing. Why was her being at Old York that important?

"She is Rory Gilmore - now Huntzberger, I suppose," Milton clarified. "Exactly," he continued slyly, "With her out of a job, no income, no security and therefore fully dependent on the Huntzberger boy… God, that she fell pregnant was just a bonus," he laughed hollowly, "Of course that would play on him, make him want to man up and feel the need to get a real job instead of mucking around that crap pile that was Travel Magazine."

Rory's eyes widened at Milton's revelation.

"Hell no, it wasn't coincidence," the one-sided conversation continued, "I arranged it. It was all me!" he stated proudly, "Mitchum thinks it was his stellar convincing skills and the boy is oblivious, but the kid know the industry – that's why HPG needed him!"

Rory's heart pounded in her chest as Milton continued his confession, "Anyway, in the end the boy took the job on the initial offer, but just in case I needed the save me, feed me, poor me pregnant wife to seal the deal. I mean, no harm, no foul, right? It's not like she has a smidgen of talent…"

She swallowed hard as she realized that Milton Howard had single handedly destroyed Old York and used her as a pawn to ensure Logan would choose HPG. All the tension between Logan and her, all her insecurities, all the struggle and sleepless night she and Logan endured. All this time she had envisioned Mitchum to be the voice of pure evilness, and Logan was simply carrying out his masters orders. Now it was clear that the Huntzberger men were both puppets in Milton's wicked plan. _Dance puppet, dance. _

"What are you doing here?" Milton's voice boomed.

Rory quickly whipped her head around, her eyes still wide from what she had just discovered. As she locked eyes with Milton, she knew that he knew.

"Uh," she shook her head, "I was just looking for Logan…"

Milton rubbed his thick thumb over his unshaven chin in contemplation. He had to give her credit; this girl could put up a good façade. "But, you do realize this is _my _office…"

"I know," Rory nodded softly, "his office was empty, so I thought he might be in here…"

"And he clearly isn't…." Milton stated the obvious.

"So, I was just leaving," she interjected, as she cocked her head to the side, trying to distract him from her nervousness.

"And, you are deaf, correct?" he asked – though it evident that this was not really a question.

"Excuse me?' she couldn't help but ask.

"Rory," he said forcefully, "I'm no fool." He walked towards her, scaring her with every step. He stopped just a few feet away from her and put his arm on her shoulder, "What you heard in this office, remains in this office."

She blinked nervously and she felt his warm hand burn on her shoulder. "Yes, yes…." she complied softly, "Of course." His warm hand immediately left her shoulder and his dark blue rage-filled eyes met her anxious gaze,

"Good."

A slight tap on the door broke the tension. "Come in," Milton boomed as he stepped away from Rory and moved towards his desk.

"Ace," Logan smiled warmly, "I've been looking for you!"

Rory swiftly stepped back and reached for Logan's hand, "I thought you'd might be in here…" she explained quietly, as Milton eyed the couple.

"I've been in my office the whole morning, Ace," Logan laughed, and noticed the sudden smug look on Milton's face.

"It doesn't matter;" she said quickly, "Let's go, okay?"

"Sure," Logan smiled, "I'll be back in an hour, Milton – we'll go over the new re-launch."

"Sounds like a plan, son," Milton nodded, before once again locking eyes with Rory and shooting her a look that signaled it was in her best interest to keep her mouth shut.

Logan felt Rory squeeze his hand tighter and quickly analyzed the exchange between his wife and his boss.

* * *

"So," Logan said as he dipped a French fry in the ramekin of ketchup on his plate, "What's up with you and Milton?"

Rory distractedly picked a piece of fake lint off her shirtsleeve, "Nothing's up. How are your fries? Mine are soggy… we shouldn't come here again…" She shrugged, "I mean, if they can't even fry a fry…." She quickly looked over her shoulder.

"Are you expecting someone?" Logan smirked, though he was concerned.

"Hm?" Rory looked at him, "Oh no, I was just…" she scratched her neck, "Just, checking…you know…"

He raised his eyebrows. "Ace, come on. What happened?"

"_Nothing_" she said firmly, hoping he would drop the matter and let her suffer in silence but he wouldn't let up.

"Rory," he grabbed her left hand and gently placed his over hers, "You have been looking over your shoulder since we've left the office, you can't sit still, you won't eat your fries, you can't focus on a conversation and there was a weird vibe in Milton's office…" he paused, "It's not the baby, is it?"

Rory's features softened at the mention of the baby, "No, Logan – the baby is fine…"

"But, clearly, you aren't," he looked at her, silently urging her to confide in him.

She sighed – that look. It was his specialty; he could most always get her to cave. But, this time she knew her spilling her guts would be different. She knew that Logan would believe here, it wasn't about that. There would be consequences. Logan would go ballistic and risk everything he had worked so hard for – what they had sacrificed so much for – to be a part of HPG. And, Milton would have her head on a silver platter for dinner.

Logan was thriving, she was happy. If she told him, it would ruin everything and sometimes ignorance is bliss. Could she shatter the world they had just settled in?

"Ace," he gently rubbed the back of her hand, 'Please tell me…If it's something that Milton said – don't worry about it. He's just like my Dad…"

"No," she shook her head.

"What?" Logan asked, "He's not like my Dad or he didn't say something?"

"He's not like your Dad and he _did_ say something," she confessed her eyes shiny with tears.

Logan's breath hitched as a million ideas flitted through his mind as he thought about what Milton said to make Rory this upset.

He listened in awe as Rory relayed the story to him. She told him everything, about how she walked in to Milton's office, hoping to impress him only to overhear the conversation in which Milton admitted to playing Mitchum and using him to get Logan back in with HPG.

She explained, through her tears, that Old York folded because she worked there. She was 'the back-up plan', carefully chosen to ensue Logan would wind up at HPG, if only to be able to provide for Rory.

After her confession, Logan sat there in stunned silence. Rory got up from her side of the booth, and scooted next to him. "Are you okay?"

He turned towards her and brushed his hand softly over her cheek, "I'm so, so sorry, Ace."

She shook her head, "You didn't know, Logan. Hell – Mitchum didn't even know!'

Logan grabbed Rory's hand, and scooted out of the booth, "We are going to take care of this _right now_." His tone was without doubt. He knew Rory was right.

"What?" Rory looked confused, "How?"

"I don't know," he admitted as he pulled his wallet out of his back pocket, He opened his wallet and angrily threw a hundred-dollar note on the table, far too much for their hamburger-and-fry lunch.

"But we are taking care of it!" He tightly grabbed her hand and stomped out of the restaurant.

* * *

Logan still had a firm grip on Rory's hand as they pair stood in the elevator. Rory anxiously eyed her husband; they hadn't talked the entire walk to the office. She knew he was fuming since his strides had grown longer with every step, a tough pace to match for a petite pregnant woman.

Logan glanced at her, 'You okay?'

She nodded, and rubbed his arm comfortingly, "Just have to catch my breath." She smiled wryly at him.

He mumbled an apology, but she didn't want that from him. She wanted that from Milton – at the very least.

"DAD!" Logan boomed as the couple stepped out of the elevator.

A surprised Mitchum looked up from the receptionist's desk in the front lobby. "Honestly, Logan…"

"My office, NOW!" he yelled, stepping past his father, Rory trailing behind, "And bring Milton with you!"

* * *

The atmosphere in Logan's office was tense. The couple remained quiet, Rory sitting on the leather couch, clutching the glass of water Logan has gotten her. He sat confidently behind his desk, waiting for Milton and Mitchum to arrive.

He looked up as he heard the door open.

"What the hell is this about?" Mitchum demanded, "You aren't sixteen years old, Logan. You can't go screaming and stomping about if something doesn't work out!"

"Do you know why I'm here, Dad?" Logan asked in a tone cold enough to kill.

"I persuaded you to come back to HPG, convinced you that Travel Magazine was a dead-end road…"

"Really?" Logan raised his left eyebrow.

Mitchum rolled his eyes, clearly agitated. "What is this about?"

"It's about Milton manipulating you…." Logan shouted, but Milton cut him off.

"Please," he snorted, "Mitchum and I have been in business for thirty years – the only people being are manipulated are the poor folks that can't manage their papers…. Like Old York."

Logan and Mitchum both shot him a look, causing Milton to direct his gaze towards Rory, "No offense."

"None taken," she spoke venomously.

Logan glanced over at Rory, to make sure she was okay before continuing. "Milton is manipulating you, Dad. He used you to get to me. He wanted me to work for HPG and he made Old York fold to put Rory out of a job…."

"What?" Mitchum asked, "What the hell are you talking about?"

"It's true, Dad," Logan tried again, "He thought if Rory was unemployed, I feel some man-urge to provide for her and the baby and that HPG would be my only option…."

Logan noticed that Milton had all sorts of uncomfortable written on his face, but this all went unnoticed by Mitchum, who had now focused on Rory.

"What kind of stories are you making up? Are you really _that_ unhappy in your New York Penthouse, spending the Huntzberger money, because from where I'm standing you don't have _anything_ to complain about, young lady!"

"DAD!" Logan yelled.

"No," Rory pointed at Logan, "I've got this."

She crossed her arms across her chest, squinted spoke loudly, "Where do YOU get off telling me how to live my life? My life that I created was taken away from me because this pompous asshole decided he needed YOUR son for YOUR Company. Old York's going under is because I worked there…."

"They had creditors, Rory, they filed for bankruptcy," Mitchum sighed.

"Is that what Milton told you?" she shot back.

"Yes."

She snorted, "Then I won't blame you for your ignorance. I never set out to be a society wife, Mitchum. I was a writer, and a damn good writer at that!"

She paused, "And, it's none of your concern how we spend our money, but in case you've forgotten your son is married to a Gilmore-Hayden. And, the last time I checked the Hayden Name alone is worth more than your sorry Huntzberger ass," she paused, glanced at Logan and smiled weakly, "Sorry."

He smirked amused as he ran a hand through his hair, "None taken."

"Excuse me?" Mitchum looked at her bemused.

"You heard me," she stated, "And you heard Logan, too. I'm not making this up – I've got better things to do with my time, Mitchum. Like spend money and oh, I don't know, GIVE BIRTH TO YOUR GRANDCHILD!"

"Are you done?" Mitchum asked, unfazed by her claims.

"No," she said firmly "but, I have to go pee. Pregnant and what not...."

Her features softened, "Just listen to Logan." She looked at Logan, waiting for directions to the ladies room.

"Two doors down to the left, Ace" he said caringly, and waited for her to leave the room to direct his attention towards the men.

* * *

"Look Dad," he said, "Rory isn't making this up. I know Milton, I've followed his work – I wouldn't put a stunt like this past him…It's one thing to fool you, or to fool me – but to do that to Rory, who had her whole career in front of her." The protectiveness in his tone was evident.

"Please," Mitchum sighed, "Her 'career' – if you can call it that – was over the day that damn stick turned blue!"

"Dad…." Logan warned.

Milton was feeling more secure as he realized he had Mitchum on his side.

"Oh, come on, Mitchum," Milton said nonchalantly, "You've got to give the boy credit for defending his woman…."

"Don't you dare speak about Rory…" Logan shouted at him.

"Logan!" Mitchum yelled, "Just let it go!"

"Let it go!" he exclaimed outraged, "After what _he_ did? Let it go?! What the hell, Dad?"

Mitchum rolled his eyes, "You are accusing Milton – the finest man in the industry, I might add – of something you don't even know!"

"It's the truth, Dad. Rory overheard this conversation, she heard him confess everything!"

Rory re entered the room, as Mitchum caught her off guard, 'One more chance, Rory – did you overhear some conversation in Milton's office?

She boldly locked eyes with Milton. He had caught her off-guard in his office, but now with Logan by her side she felt a new sense of confidence.

"Yes," was her simple statement.

"Milton, is there any truth in these allegations?" Mitchum asked his friend.

"No, not at all." Milton lied effortlessly.

Rory and Logan both let out an outraged scream, but Mitchum had had enough. "Cut the crap, Logan. Milton has not done anything to lead me to believe he is the manipulating son of a gun you both make him out to be. We have papers to produce and business to attend to. We don't have time for this nonsense. Apologize and get your ass back to work!" he boomed.

Logan caught the smug look on Milton's face and noticed the deflated one on Rory's. This was not over.

"No." Logan declared defiantly.

"What?" Mitchum asked.

"You heard me," Logan crossed his arms over his chest, much like a naughty five year old: "No!"

"Honestly…" Mitchum started, but Logan cut him off.

"No, Dad," Logan shook his head, " I can't work here after the stunt Milton pulled. I won't do it."

"All this for a silly story your wife's made up?" Mitchum questioned sarcastically.

"For the last time," Logan exasperated, "It's the freaking' truth and if you can accept that," he paused, "I'm gone."

Rory questioned his action – she did not want him to give up his dream job, but by the look in his eye she knew he was dead serious.

"What?" Mitchum asked.

"Him," Logan cocked his head towards Milton, "Or me, Dad. It's that simple." He spoke in an eerie cold tone.

Mitchum silently stared at his son, essentially giving Logan his answer.

"I understand." Logan swallowed, grabbing Rory's hand in his left hand, his laptop in his right hand.

"You can't be serious, Logan" Mitchum pleaded.

"Like a heart attack," he stated in his icy voice, as he headed for the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Isn't really a concern to you, is it?" Logan spoke calmly as he let the door and his career at HPG, fall behind him leaving a stunned Milton and Mitchum in the wake of his decision.

* * *

_So? What did you think? Did Rory get enough 'fight time' with Mitchum – there is probably another opportunity for a smack-down in the not-to-distant future, so let me know if there are any unresolved issues you want sorted out. Okay – I hope you liked it, let me know!!! Happy Holidays! _


	33. Chapter 33

**Hi! **

**It is back! Yeah! I hope you like it. I originally was going to make this one long chapter, but I cut in half to keep some of the fluffiness. And, I wanted you input on the Stars Hallow Baby Shower and….the rest. Let me know! **

**And, thank you so so so so much for all the reviews. I can't believe how many of you have added this in your alerts and favs. The end is coming close for this story. Maybe 5 or 6 chapters (but then again….) so if there is something you want to see happen, let me know! I'll try to be better about updating! **

**Okay – get on with it: happy reading!**

**Love, **

**Gilmoregirl19**

**PS: Don't own GG!! **

* * *

Logan angrily made his way down the long hallway. He did not notice the puzzled looks his co-workers were giving him, or Rory, who was desperately trying to keep up with his quick pace.

He was fuming. His father chose Milton above him, after all the pleading his father did to get him on board HPG. Logan shook his head in disgust – all of it was a lie, a plot crafted to ruin Rory's career.

He finally reached the elevator, desperately hoping that the doors would open as soon as he pressed the button. Of course, at times like this, they did not, which turned his dramatic exit into awkwardness.

He stood there, feverishly pressing the elevator button, wishing the doors to open with every press, while Rory tugged on his suit sleeve.

"Logan, _please_", she pleaded. She knew he was going to be upset, as he should be. Nevertheless, she did not want him to be rash. Maybe, just maybe, they could work something out, if Logan talked to his father in private. Maybe he could persuade him to fire Milton or, _something_.... She wanted him to fight, since it was his dream job. She could not just let him walk away.

He did not turn to look at her, though he heard her plea. He shook his head in amazement. Here she was trying to get him to stay with HPG after everything that happened. He was just about to say something to Rory as he felt a light tap on his shoulder.

'Uh, sir…" he turned around and saw it was crazy Mary-Lou. "We, uh, really need, uh, your approval, uh, on these, uh, documents…."

"Not my problem," he replied coldly as he looked up and saw his father approaching from the hallway.

"Logan," he said firmly, "Don't be rash. Let's talk about this, like men. I'm sure if you just listen to Milton…"

The office was tense as Logan, Mitchum locked eyes, and Mary-Lou stood there quickly exchanging glances between the father and son duo.

"Mitchum," Rory started to say, jumping to her husband's defense but Logan shot her a look that indicating that it was pointless. Instead, she squeezed his hand tighter.

The elevator pinged, and Logan directed himself toward Mary-Lou.

'I quit'

* * *

"At least I got my dramatic exit," Logan laughed hollowly in an attempt to break the silence between the couple as they stood in the elevator. Rory looked at him, her blue eyes wide with worry.

"Are you sure?" she spoke softly.

"Yes, I mean – it can't get more Hollywood than quitting your job, basically shoving it up Mitchum's ass in front of the entire office, just as the elevator arrives and leaving them behind with bewildered looks?" His tone was casual though obviously laced with sarcasm.

Rory shook her head, "I didn't mean that."

"I know," he nodded, seriously. He shook his head, "I don't know, Ace, I don't know…"

The elevator pinged again, letting them out at the main lobby.

"Logan Huntzberger," a security guard asked as the couple approached the exit. "We are going to need your company pass, photo-ID and parking card."

He was a skinny middle-aged man, his black hair thinning and streaked with gray. He had glasses and a soft twinkle in his eyes. He spoke in a gentle tone, as if he knew exactly what had transpired 30 stories above him. In fact, all he knew was from a quick telephone call he had received seconds ago explaining that Huntzberger had been let go and that he was by no means to leave the premises with anything that indicated he worked for HPG.

Logan swallowed and shot Rory an apologetic look, before opening his wallet and handing over his HPG-identity.

"Thank-you for your cooperation, sir," the security guard said as he placed the items in a manila envelope marked L. Huntzberger – PNG.

"Persona Non-Grata, huh?" he laughed coolly, "HPG sure moves fast." Rory looked away, saddened.

"It's policy, sir."

"Look," Logan ran a hand through his hair and noticed that a crowd was starting to form, "Are we done here?"

The security guard gave Logan and Rory a sympathetic smile, as he shook his head, "Is that a company computer?" he asked pointing at the laptop Logan was still holding in his right hand.

"No," Logan shook his head, "It's mine."

The security guard sighed. Policy dictated that he would have to confiscate the laptop and run a plethora of tests to determine L. Huntzberger was telling the truth. However, the guard instinctively knew this blond-haired brown-eyed man was telling the truth. It was obvious he and his wife were having a rough day, to say the least so he decided to give them a much-needed break.

"Okay," he nodded and pulled a document out of the envelope, "Just need a signature here, indicating that your employment with Huntzberger Publishing Group has been terminated and if you return to this building you will be arrested on grounds of trespassing."

Logan raised his eyebrows in surprise. It seemed bit much for a simple 'I quit'; however, on the other hand, his departure had infuriated his father and he knew Milton was behind all of this PNG nonsense.

Grudgingly, he signed the document. "Are we done?"

"Your wife's guest pass, sir…" the security guard replied wearily. This was his least favorite part of his job. Rory quickly removed the pass from her neck, and grabbed the pen and clipboard from the guard's hand.

"And a signature…" she muttered under her breath, fuming. If it were up to her, she would walk right back up to the office and give Milton and Milton a piece of her mind. She hated them for humiliating Logan like this; after all of the things he had done for HPG.

The security guard was about to speak, but Rory interjected. "You don't have to escort us off the property. We know our own way out!"

With that, she squeezed her husband's hand tightly before walking – as best she could at 7 months pregnant – with her head held high, with Logan following carefully.

* * *

'Now what?" Rory asked Logan, as the couple stood on the sidewalk in front of Logan's former place of employment.

"Home, change, Stars Hallow," Logan replied as he tried to hail a cab to take them back to their apartment.

'Are you sure?" Rory asked concerned. "I mean, the Baby Shower isn't until tomorrow afternoon. We don't have to go down early…."

Logan looked at her. She stood there, looking very pregnant in her dark blue baby doll style top, her hair curly and loose around her shoulders. It was a shame she looked so distraught and tired. Logan hated that Milton did this to her, deliberately tried to hurt his wife, and their relationship. He hated even more that Rory blamed herself for it.

"Come here, Ace," he said, finally without a trace of anger in his voice, "I can't imagine anywhere else I'd rather be, than in Stars Hallow, sleeping on the trusty old trundle bed, drinking Luke's coffee and talking about the latest episode of Gossip Girl with Lorelai."

She was about to disagree with him. She was going to say that they needed to figure something out, for the baby's sake and for their sake. Their whole lives had changed, yet again. Instead, she understood where Logan was coming from. A long weekend of fun was just what the doctor ordered.

"Okay."

* * *

There was an awkward silence between the couple as they made the drive down to Stars Hallow. They silently agreed to let the office drama rest; however, coming up with different topics to talk about was proving to be a difficult task. Both Rory and Logan were wrapped up in their own thoughts, wondering where to go from here.

"I'm sorry," Rory said suddenly.

"For what," Logan asked sincerely.

"For _this_", she responded, a little taken aback he did not understand what she was referring to.

"It's not your fault Nickelback are the most overplayed group of all time," he smirked and changed the radio station.

Rory rolled her eyes, and looked out of her window. Why couldn't Logan just deal with his emotions like a normal person with tubs of ice cream and days of wallow?

She felt Logan reach for her hand and squeeze it lightly.

"It's not your fault, Ace," he spoke softly, "None of it. It is all Milton. I know you wanted me to fight…"

"It's your dream job," she interjected, "We went through so much…"

"But," Logan inhaled sharply, "You are more important to me, Ace. Baby G is more important to me. Hell, it's not about the money. We are lucky enough to _have _money. If Milton had only used me and Mitchum in his twisted game, I would consider staying on at HPG…."

"But?" Rory urged him to continue.

"He hurt you, undermined you and your talent. He treated you like crap. Just because you are married to me….And that is not your fault, and I don't _ever_ want you to feel sorry for that."

Rory swallowed hard, not wanting to cry. "Damn hormones," she laughed, quickly wiping a small tear from her eye.

He handed her a tissue from the box in the middle console, smiled and spoke sincerely. 'No more tears about this, okay. We will figure it out. We are sound financially. I'll be home _a lot more. _It'll all work out. I promise."

Rory blew her nose and nodded, "Okay."

She was anxious by nature, a worrier. Logan was much more relaxed and easy-going. She loved him for that. As angry and impulsive he was this morning, she knew he acted upon his gut instinct and knew that he had already made peace with himself for his actions. Short term, he was right, they were fine financially and they were both healthy and now had plenty of time to focus on the baby. It was long term, however, that worried her. They were both active people by nature. Not working simply was not an option and they still needed to see Mitchum at family functions – the first being in 18 days at her Hartford Baby Shower.

* * *

"Hey!" Lorelai greeted the couple cheerfully, "How are you?"

"Uh," Logan sighed, "Glad to be here." He offered Lorelai a weak smile.

"Oh," her facial expression changed, "What happed? The baby is okay, right?"

"Yes Mom," Rory nodded, "Perfectly fine."

Lorelai knelt down and spoke to Rory's stomach. "Good!" she exclaimed, pointing at Rory's pregnant belly, "Don't you ever scare G-mom like that again!"

"G-mom?!" Rory and Logan questioned, both shaking their head in disapproval.

"My grandma name," Lorelai replied matter-of-factly and as she noticed the pained expressions on her daughter and son-in-law's face, she scrunched up her own face and asked, "What, no good?"

"No" Rory and Logan replied, laughter lacing their tone.

"Well," Lorelai placed her hand on her hip, "At least it got a smile out of you two. You two look like someone told you Gossip Girl and Grey's Anatomy got canceled…"

"They did," Rory jokingly interjected.

"WHAT?" Lorelai exclaimed, "Seriously – tell me it's not true. Tell your mommy you're joking!"

"Kidding, mom," Rory laughed.

Lorelai shot her a warning look.

"_Kidding,_" she stressed again.

Lorelai pointed at Rory, "Don't you ever scare mommy like that again!" Mimmicking herself from moments before.

Rory rolled her eyes, but she laughed, too. Logan was right. Just what the doctor ordered.

"But," Lorelai continued, "That still doesn't explain why you two looked like someone peed in your cornflakes. Mitchum, working you too hard at the ol' office…"

Logan and Rory shared a concerned look. Logan swallowed, "Actually, Lorelai…I quit."

She yelled in surprise, "Shut up! What _happened?"_

"Well," Logan saw the humor in Lorelai's animated reaction. "It's a long and complicated story but it basically boils down to that I can no longer be a pawn in Huntzberger Publishing Group…warped perception of how one conducts business…." He trailed off, hoping that that would be enough to still Lorelai's curiousness.

Lorelai let out a low whistle, "Like sands through an hourglass, so are the days of our lives…" And continued more seriously, "Are you okay, do you want to talk about it? Blow off the baby shower – I totally get it."

"No, no," Rory waved her mom's suggestions away, "We want to be here. Get away from the drama. It'll be fine. Logan promised."

She shot her husband a convincing smile, and he caringly snuggled his hand around her growing waist and nodded, "Better than fine."

Lorelai quickly glared at the couple, knowing it was a façade. But, for now, she decided to let it rest.

"All right," she nodded placed her hands on her hip, "Better than fine it is."

She smiled, again, before pulling Rory into a hug and whispering, "Tell me later."

Lorelai, Luke, Logan and Rory were enjoying an old-fashioned movie night with an enormous spread of food, to-be-watched DVDs, gossip and laughter. Everyone was enjoying himself, especially since the Drama hadn't been referred to since Rory and Logan's arrival.

The foursome was watching Burn After Reading when Rory suddenly hit the pause button, "Bathroom Break!" and waddled off to the bathroom.

"Hey!" Lorelai exclaimed, "this is not in the Rules!'

"No one was pregnant when we established the Rules!" Rory yelled back. "Don't you love your grandchild, G-Mom?" she mocked, earning laughs from Logan and Luke.

"Get your butt back out here!" Lorelai said after a while, "We'll start without you and I know how much you'd hate to miss pretty, pretty, pretty boy Brad Pitt!"

"Yeah!" Logan added, taking mock-offense, "Everyone loves Brad." This earning him another round of laughs from the group.

"I'm coming Brad, I'm coming" Rory laughed as she made her way back to the living room, just as the doorbell rang, "I'm going, Brad, I'm going…" she joked and opened the door, revealing Kirk and Lulu.

"Oh hey, guys," Rory said.

"Hello Rory," Lulu said, before Kirk spoke in a very businesslike way, "We are here for the baby shower."

Rory blinked at him, "But that's tomorrow, Kirk."

"We are here to prepare for our roles."

Rory blinked at him again, "I'm sorry, what?"

"The reenactment," Kirk said, slipping out of his business tone, now sounding more like a whiny child. "We are reenacting the wedding at the Shower, and Lulu and I won."

"You won," Rory repeated dumbly.

"Yes," Kirk exasperated, "Reenactment Idols – Stars Hallow's search for the next Rory and Logan!"

"Taylor was Simon, Jackson was Randy and Patty Paula," Lulu explained happily. "We won! Didn't your mom tell you?"

To Rory's knowledge, the reenactment had been cancelled because the Town couldn't afford to reenact Logan's lavish wedding. Nevertheless she invited the 'winners' in.

"Who's at the door, sweets?" Lorelai asked from the couch.

"Kirk and Lulu," Rory spoke in a tone that made clear she knew exactly what was going on. "Can I talk to you in the kitchen, and Logan, too?"

Logan and a guilty looking Lorelai got up from the couch and followed Rory into the kitchen.

"Is everything okay, Ace?"

"Perfect. Remember the Wedding Reenactment Thing?" she asked him.

"Got cancelled because of costs, right?" he replied casually.

"Guess again," Rory shot her mother an accusatory look.

"Honey," Lorelai pleaded, "They arranged it all without me. Patty was Paula – I was SO bummed I wasn't Paula."

"Not helping," Logan whispered.

"Right, I mean, so they arranged it all without me. And, Taylor had a very official looking document saying that you agreed to some sort of reenacment thingy..... I thought Lane and Zack would win, honestly, but the town voted…."

"Lane and Zack auditioned?" Rory asked in amazement.

"I'm sorry Kirk and Lulu won," Lorelai shook her head, "But, at least you have a cool baby shower thing. They promised the reenactment wouldn't take more than 15 minutes and wouldn't interfere with the Shower."

Rory looked at Logan, who had a huge grin on his face. "What's so funny?" she asked.

"This town, I love it," he pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "What other couple do you know has couples competing to reenact them at a town baby shower? Come on, it'll be fun!"

Rory smiled, a little at Logan's enthusiasm. "All right," she sighed and fell into his embrace. She glared at her mom, "You should have told me."

Her mom smiled a giddy smile. The three returned to the living room.

"Everything okay," Luke asked, trying his best to ignore Kirk and Lulu as he played with the remote.

"Fine," Rory and Lorelai replied in unison.

"Better than fine," Logan beamed, surprising himself how much he liked Stars Hallow.

* * *

Logan and Rory spent the rest of the evening watching movies with Kirk and Lulu following their every move. If Logan rested his hand on Rory's knee, Kirk did the same to Lulu. If Rory rested her hand on her stomach, or got up to pee, Lulu did the same. By the end of the evening Kirk and Lulu, each had a notebook full of notes on the couple.

Kirk had gone so far as to suggest they would stay the night but thankfully, Lorelai nixed that idea immediately. However, Kirk and Lulu promised to be back before breakfast the next day. And, they were. Lulu and Kirk babysat Rory and Logan all morning as Lorelai had given them instructions to stay far away from the Inn until she gave them The Call.

Luckily, Kirk and Lulu cleared out before noon, because they needed to get ready for Rory and Logan's First Annual Wedding Reenactment, giving Rory and Logan some time to enjoy lunch together.

"That was bizarre," Logan said as he took a bite of his burger at Luke's.

"I warned you!" Rory laughed.

Just then, Rory's cell rang.

"Hey G-Moooom," she picked up.

"Will I ever live it down?" Lorelai asked in mock-despair.

"Lulu and Kirk have 7 notebooks on Rogan-isms," she deadpanned.

"I see," Lorelai smiled, "So, see you in 30 minutes at the Inn for BST?"

"BST?"

"Baby Shower Time" Lorelai clarified.

"Yes! I thought you'd never call!" Rory laughed excitedly, nodding to Logan that it was The Call they had been waiting for.

"Well, OTB for my granddaughter!"

"What" Rory asked again, "When did you start talking in code?"

"Only the best, babe!" Lorelai laughed, "I don't know where I picked it up. It's cool, though. Very Secret Service Agent."

Rory rolled her eyes, "TTYL"

"What?" Lorelai asked, but Rory had already hung up.

* * *

_Okay, okay, I'm dying to know what you think. I wanted some fluff to balance out the drama of the last few chapters. And, I wanted to wrap up the whole reenactment thing from a few chapters back. I thought this would be sorta fun, like this. But, I don't know. Do you want to see a quick like overview of the baby shower or all the deets (including the wedding.... ) It's your story now, just as much as mine, so let me know. Oh, oh oh, and don't worry... there will be more drama soon as certain business opportunities arise. Okay. Okay. I'm done. Enough spoiling!! Let me know! _


	34. Chapter 34

**Hello my lovely readers! **

**I'm reluctantly posting this chapter, since the end is drawing near. Okay, well, there are probably a good six chapters left, but still. I can't help not wanting to finish this story, since it was my first EVER attempt at writing anything and the response has been overwhelmingly positive. I can't thank you guys enough for that. It seriously blows my mind every time someone reviews. **

**I was also toying with the idea of doing a major clean up, fixing spelling/grammar mistakes and other cringe-worthy stuff, before posting the final chapter but I wanted to know if the reposting would affect the reviews… If anyone knows, please PM the answer!!! Thanks! **

**Okay, now onward to chapter 34. It was hard for me to write, since I wanted to have the fluff of the Baby Shower and a few sweet moments between Rory and Logan. However, it was always important to move on to the last part of this story so someone you all hold near and dear pays a visit…So, it was hard to keep the balance. I'm also dealing with the complete opposite of writers block as four or five new ideas are buzzin' through my brain. That always happens when I buy new music ******

**Happy reading, **

**Gilmoregirl19**

**PS: I don't own the awesomeness ASP created.**

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* * *

  
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"Here you go, Ace."

"Thanks," Rory smiled at her husband, as she took the bucket of pink-colored popcorn from him. He sat down next to her and slung his arm around her shoulder.

"Fifteen-minutes to show-time!" he said happily, using his best Game Show Host voice, and taking a handful of popcorn.

The couple was sitting on lawn chairs, in front of the gazebo where the wedding reenactment was set to take place soon. It was the last part of the all-day Stars Hallow Baby Shower Extravaganza.

Lorelai really outdid herself. The whole town had gathered at the Dragonfly Inn, dressed in various shades of pinks and whites. Two giant inflatable storks graced the front entrance, along with a big inflatable baby. Inside was even more spectacular, as an enormous baby picture of Rory hung from the ceiling, together with one of Logan. Pink and white balloon decorations were in every corner, pink streamers hung from corner-to-corner, covering the ceiling and each table was covered in plush pink table clothes, and had a tiered diaper cake as a centerpiece.

It was a jam-packed afternoon, including all traditional baby shower activities. They decorated little onesies for Baby G, guessing guest's baby pictures and a baby inspired musical chairs. Lorelai and Lane gave touching speeches, and each guest was encouraged to drop a Grandma Name suggestion in the box Lorelai had designed for that.

Sookie truly outdid herself with a buffet of wonderful 'baby-sized' snacks and she made a georgeous chocolate mocha cake, which was shaped like an old-fashion pram. Of course, she decorated it to match the pink and white theme.

Everyone contributed to the party in his or her own special way. Rory and Logan received a boatload of gifts, cards, and heartfelt notes. Miss Patty contributed to the festivities by serving her notorious punch, and Babette gave a slightly disturbing speech about how Rory's pregnancy reminded her so much of Cinnamon the Cat's first litter of kittens.

Now, the townspeople had gathered at the gazebo and were waiting for the moment-supreme - the wedding reenactment.

Rory leaned into Logan and rested her head on his shoulder.

"Tired?" he asked compassionately.

"Yeah," she replied, as he felt her nod on his chest. "But, I'm having a great time."

"Me too, Ace," he said warmly, "I love Stars Hallow."

"What's your favorite," she asked absentmindedly, tracing circles with her pointer finger on Logan's jeans.

"Patty's Punch," he laughed, which caused Rory to look at him.

"Don't joke about the Punch unless you've tried it," she warned jokingly.

Logan smiled. "Bad experience?"

"Nah," she shrugged, "I just got really close to my bathroom floor….and toilet."

"Ouch, Ace," Logan shook his head, "What happened?"

"Lane, Paris and I decided to drink our guy-problems away," she shook her head and chuckled thinking about her dumb college moment.

Logan laughed, "I was irresistible to you, even back then!" He shot her his traditional smirk.

"How do you know it was about you?" she poked his stomach playfully, "maybe I just have an irresistible appetite for punch…"

Logan squeezed her closer. She had told him about that one cringe worthy drunken night, soon after they became a legitimate couple. Even though it seemed like a million years ago, he hated that he made her feel that way. He was young, dumb and afraid. Commitment back then seemed unimaginable. It was all in the past, but he still felt a tiny pang of guilt every time someone brought up the 'no-strings' part of their relationship. Luckily, they could joke about it now.

"What can I say," he sighed, "I was a fool."

Rory laughed, "Yeah, but a hot fool."

"So, that's why you wanted me…." He paused dramatically, "Just for my looks?" He shot her a mock-offend look.

She shrugged and continued flirtatiously, "And for something else."

"Really?" Logan raised his eyebrows at Rory's sudden suggestiveness.

She paused, building the suspense and giving his mind enough time to run through the dirty things she knew he was thinking.

"You brought me the best cappuccinos," she replied simply, before bursting out in laughter, "Get your mind out of the gutter."

He laughed together with her, before placing a gentle kiss on top of her head. "I love you, Ace."

She gazed up at him and replied with a simple, 'me too,' before leaning in for a passionate kiss.

* * *

"Well, well," Lorelai's voice boomed through the microphone. "Pregnancy doesn't kill the passion, ladies and gentlemen. Let my daughter be living proof of that."

Rory and Logan broke apart, and looked at Lorelai, who was standing on stage. The bright spotlight caused Lorelai squint a little bit, but one could clearly see the bright pink track suit and baby pink Uggs she was wearing. She matched perfectly with the pink and white stage curtains that were hung in the gazebo for this special occasion.

The townspeople all had gotten drinks and popcorn and were settled, waiting for the highly anticipated Huntzberger Wedding Reenactment. Rory and Logan were so wrapped up in their little world, they hadn't even noticed.

"In addition to the "When will Rory pop?" bet, I'm taking bets for the birth of grand-chicken number two," Lorelai chuckled, " 'cause by the looks of things that blessed event won't be too long off."

A wave of laughter flitted through the crowd, as Logan and Rory looked around only the slightest bit embarrassed.

"Way to make your mama proud, hon," Lorelai added in a fake sarcastic tone, before continuing with her speech.

"I just wanted to thank-you all today for getting together and celebrating with us. I can't wait to open the 'Baby Name Suggestion Box', though I'm a little concerned since Miss Patty has given more than one suggestion…"

Lorelai paused and shook her champagne flute around, as another round of laughter emerged from the audience.

"Anyway, I am sure you are all anxious to see the winners of Reenactment Idol, Kirk and Miss Lulu in the wonderful reenactment of Logan and Rory's wedding."

"I know, I know," Lorelai laughed, "You all wanted to be there, but the kid is a hopeless romantic," she smiled and pointed to Logan, "so an elopement was inevitable….Okay guys, get some punch, grab some pink popcorn and take your seat for the First Annual Huntzberger Wedding Reenactment!"

The townspeople applauded loudly. Rory shot Logan a quick look and he was smiling widely. She squeezed his hand gently. He returned the gesture, "This is awesome."

Rory laughed, as the spotlight refocused on the gazebo and the pink curtains opened, revealing Kirk standing in the middle of the stage in the same midnight blue suit with silver vest Logan had been wearing for the his wedding.

"What did I miss," Lorelai asked her daughter, as she plopped down on the empty chair next to Rory.

"Not much," she grinned at her mom, passing her the popcorn tub, "I never thought I'd live to see the day Kirk dress up as Logan."

The Gilmore Girls shared a laugh, but Logan shushed them in mock-agitation. "Excuse me, ladies," he said quietly, "I'm trying to enjoy the show!'

The trio directed their attention back to the main stage, which was decorated to match the winter wonder theme Logan and Lorelai created in December.

A path of silvery and dark blue candles lined the edge of the gazebo and seven large chairs covered in custom-made silver and midnight blue slipcovers were set up in a half circle, created the same intimate setting.

Rory noticed similar glass vases filled with willow branches and white lights and large silvery snowflakes hung from the gazebo ceiling. Sitting here, in the late spring breeze, some eight months pregnant, it was amazing that she felt the same sense of magic, that cold winter night at Lumley Castle.

"Colin, Luke, Christopher – they are waiting for you." Paris's sharp tone drew Rory back to reality. She examined the stage closer, and realized it was actually Paris.

Rory shot her mother a puzzled look. "No one wanted to audition for Paris's role?"

Lorelai laughed, and indicated she'd better look at what was unfolding on stage. All of the original wedding guests, except for Lorelai, Logan and Rory were part of the reenactment.

Logan shot her a loving look and squeezed her tightly, "We've got the best friends, Ace."

She nodded slowly, watching her wedding take place before her eyes. The townspeople laughed as Officer Gellar examined the boy's clothes for the wedding, snapping at Kirk for getting his suit dirty, something the 'real' Logan would never have done.

A big 'aw' went through the crowd as the music swelled and Christopher and Luke walked Lulu-Rory down the aisle. It was as if Rory was reliving the moment herself, and she knew the same held true for Logan.

Finn "marrying" Kirk-Logan and Lulu-Rory earned another big laugh from the crowd, but there wasn't a dry eye in the house as the fake couple recited the vows word-for-word.

As Kirk spoke his vows, Logan looked down at Rory, carrying the same expression he had had during the wedding. He mouthed 'I love you,' to her and she smiled. She knew that the last few months had been difficult, but she knew nothing had changed fundamentally between them. Their vows were still true.

It was Lulu's turn to recite her vows, now and Rory still had her gaze fixated on her husband. "I love you, so much, Logan," she whispered to him, finishing her vows in synch with Lulu.

"Then," Finn inhaled deeply as Rory and Logan directed their attention back to the stage, "by the power invested in me by the great state of Connecticut, I know pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Logan Huntzberger." He smiled brightly, pulling out the moment they'd all been waiting for just a moment longer. "You may kiss the bride."

The townspeople got up from their seats and started clapping and cheering as Kirk placed a tender kiss on Lulu's lips. Logan and Rory got up as well, and were pushed towards the stage. They waited a while for the crowd to quiet down before thanking the town – and the Wedding Reenactment Team – for everything.

* * *

An appropriately outrageous after-party followed as a result of Patty's Punch, though Rory, Logan and the original wedding party found a quiet table to sit at.

"Hello, loves," Finn greeted the group happily as he set down a tray of drinks and pink popcorn. "This pink popcorn is amazing," he continued as he handed out drinks. Finn had changed out of his wedding suit, and was now donning a fabulous pink outfit, that consisted of hot pink velvet pants and a matching jacket, which he wore without a shirt, giving his appearance just that extra pizzazz.

"Where's the Raven Haired Beauty you were dating?" Colin asked, "Simone, right?"

"Andrea," Finn corrected. "We broke up," he stated simply.

A round of apologies made its way around the table, and Finn nodded appreciatively, before taking a big sip of the punch. "My God!" he exclaimed, "This is a heavenly concoction. I must find the person responsible for this brew."

"It's made by a woman, Finn," Jackson warned, humor lacing his tone, "Be careful."

"All the better, mate," he winked and patted Jackson on the back before walking off in search of his magical female drink maker.

"Poor boy," Sookie shook her head, "He'll be sorry in the morning."

The medley of friends shared a laugh.

"I can't believe we didn't see you earlier today," Rory said, getting back to conversation, as she pointed her glass of non-alcoholic punch at Stephanie and Colin.

"Well, Lorelai kept the RSVP list under tight wraps," Stephanie replied with a shrug, "I'm glad I got Colin to agree to the Reenactment," she laughed, "Stars Hallow rocks."

"I know, babe," Colin rolled his eyes, 'You are right and I am wrong." His tone was light and airy; it was obvious that Colin and Stephanie were still going strong.

"So, no wedding bells for you two in yet?" Lorelai asked, curiously.

"Please, Lorelai," Stephanie threw an arm around Colin's shoulder, "After all the Society Crap these two have been through?" she pointed at Logan and Rory. "I think not."

Rory and Logan exchanged a knowing look. "It was worth it though," Logan said.

"I know," Stephanie said breezily, "but it's not for us."

"Yeah," Colin said unconvincingly, and the Rory and Lorelai shared a look. They both knew wedding bells were not too far away for the lovely Stephanie and former stick-in-the-mud Colin.

"Stars Hallow is so amazing," Honor said with a sigh, "Can you imagine Shira organizing a reenactment at the Club?"

This caused the group to burst out in laughter again, "That would be the day," Logan sighed taking a sip from his drink.

"I love this town so much," she continued gushing, "I think we have to move here, honey." She touched Josh's arm lightly.

"What?" Logan interjected shocked, "And move out of Grandma's old condo? You love that place!"

Honor nervously twisted a strand of her sunny blond hair around her finger. "I know,"

"So?" Logan wanted to know. It was unlike his sister to make random comments about big live changing decisions, like moving or marriage.

"Well, uh," she picked a non-existent piece of lint off her sweater, "I didn't really want to say anything…." She paused as she looked at Rory and Josh placed an arm around her waist, tenderly.

"OO EM GEE" Lorelai squealed, "Honor Huntzberger – you are pregnant! I can't believe it; my baydar must be on the fritz because of all this shower stuff!"

Honor nodded sheepishly, confirming Lorelai's suspicions, causing all the females to breakdown in a screeching congratulatory fit, complete with a lot of hugs, kisses and tears.

"I'm so excited for you, Honor!" Rory hugged her sister-in-law, "I'll give you my copy of What to Expect, and I made notes in the margins. And, I've got a bunch of cute maternity wear!"

"And," Lane hugged Honor, "If you have boys, I've got a shed full of baby boy stuff. I'm DONE with babies, forever, not to say that they aren't wonderful…" she quickly corrected herself, as she realized that the two expecting mothers didn't want to her about her woes of raising a set of twin toddlers.

"Me too!" Sookie added excitedly, "and girlie stuff!"

Logan and the other men congratulated Josh, however there were a lot less tears and hugs involved.

"Honor," Logan hugged his sister tightly, "I'm so happy for you."

"You are going to be an uncle, little brother," she laughed, "When did we get so grown-up?"

"I don't know," he laughed, before asking the all important question. "What did the parents say?"

"Nothing," Honor replied, "They don't know yet."

"Honor," Logan warned.

"It's still early days, Logan," Honor sighed, "And, besides. I haven't talked to them in ages and Daddy really doesn't like Josh, much…."

Logan shook his head, Honor's reluctance to tell their parents, reminded him very much of his own not too long ago.

"Don't wait too long, okay," he said compassionately.

"Yes," Rory nodded, resting her head on Logan's shoulder, "And make sure Elias is there when you tell them." She shot Logan a quick smile, "It'll lighten the mood."

* * *

Soon after Honor and Josh's revelation Logan and Rory excused themselves from the festivities. It was a long fun-filled and exciting day, but it was time for Rory to get some rest.

Rory let out a relieved sigh as she let herself drop on the couch. Logan kicked off his shoes and joined his wife on the couch.

"Today was a good day," she smiled happily.

"Yeah," Logan nodded in reply, "I will never forget Kirk's face as Paris told him off. An instant classic…"

"Hey," Rory asked, sitting up slightly, "Do you think anyone taped it?"

"I don't know, Ace,"

"We'll have to remember to do it next year," she started to reply, but quickly lost all train of thought as Logan gently started massaging her feet.

"That feels so good," she murmured. "I hope Josh is this good to Honor." She let out a squeal of pleasure, "Oh, that is really good, babe." And continued, "I can't believe she's going to have a baby."

He smiled at her, as she continued her hazy ramble.

"I'll have to send her some maternity clothes. A little more to the left, and I hope she has a little girl. That'll be so perfect, ah, right there. Oh, I feel so bad for her. Nine months is a long time."

Logan switched feet, "I know. Just a few more weeks, Ace."

"I know," Rory sighed, peering over her large stomach, "I can't wait."

The couple enjoyed the comfortable silence between them, as Logan continued to massage her aching feet. He stopped, and she let out a distraught whimper.

"Don't stop!"

He laughed, "I'm just going to grab some iced tea, you want?"

She nodded, "You are too good for me." She sat up slightly, and he pressed a light kiss on her lips.

Logan returned holding two large glasses of tea. Just as he set them down on the coffee table, the doorbell rang.

"If it's Kirk, send him away," Rory said, "We'll give him our reviews tomorrow,"

"Okay," Logan laughed comfortably, walking to the door. His demeanor changed once he opened the door. It was Mitchum.

"What are you doing here?" he asked coldly.

"Can I come in?" Mitchum asked, slightly defeated.

"I don't see the point…"

"Please," Mitchum interjected, "We need to talk, and this isn't something we can discuss out on the porch of some Hay Bale Town."

"I resent that," Logan deadpanned, glaring at his father.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Kirk" Rory said with a slight tone of annoyance in her voice, as she shuffled into the hallway.

"Oh," she said softly, as she realized it wasn't Kirk, after all. "Why did you come here?" she asked him bluntly. "Haven't you done enough?"

"I came to talk to you two," he replied calmly, knowing it was going to be tough to win this couple over.

"That's odd," Logan said sarcastically, "I believe you decided that the only person worth listening to was Milton…"

"That's what this is about," Milton tried a different approach.

"I see," Logan continued in his icy sarcastic tone, and placed his hand on the door, "I don't think we are interested…" and started to push the door closed.

Rory exchanged a quick glance between father and son. She knew Mitchum wouldn't have come, unless it was important. Regardless of what brought the senior Huntzberger here, it was monumental that he was here, as he never fought for Logan before. All though, Rory realized that this didn't really constitute as fighting for his son, but still, it had to count for something.

She wondered if Mitchum realized how important Logan had become at HPG, or maybe he wanted to talk about finding a new position for him within the company. Or, perhaps, Shira had sent him to make amends, to preserve that all-too-important image of the perfect society family at the Hartford Baby Shower.

Whatever it was, the look in Mitchum's eyes – was it remorse? – caused Rory to brush Logan's arm lightly.

"I might be interested," she sighed. It was too late for this, she was too tired and she hated that this tainted her perfect day. But, she could not stand there watching, while Logan through away his newfound relationship with his father. Besides, she wanted to know what brought Mitchum here.

"Are you sure, Ace," Logan shot his wife a surprised look. "You don't have to do this," he whispered in her ear and then pulled back and spoke louder, "He's done enough."

Rory smiled at Logan, for defending her, but she shook her head. "I want to know."

* * *

Rory and Logan were sitting on the couch, with Mitchum sitting in front of them.

"So, you wanted to talk," Logan said coolly, holding Rory's hand tightly, "So, talk."

"Well," Mitchum started off, nervously as he realized that this was his only shot at reconciliation with his son and daughter-in-law.

"I…" he coughed, "I just wanted to apologize for the way things turned out with Milton…"

"Excuse me?" Logan interjected, "You are responsible for the way things turned out with Milton," he mimicked his father's words and lame tone. "That was your choice; you don't get to be sorry!"

Rory rubbed his arm gently, and he calmed down, letting Mitchum continue.

"I know."

Logan snorted.

"And, I chose wrong," Mitchum admitted.

His admission was met by stunned silence. He decided it would be wise to let his revelation sink in just a bit longer.

"What?" Logan asked, slowly. The anger and iciness in his tone had faded, making room for genuine interest.

"It seems that I handled the whole situation wrong," Mitchum continued, "I was wrong to trust Milton blindly, but you have to understand," he paused, as the hurt was evident in his voice, "he was the man I trusted for most of my professional career."

"And that is more important than your _son_," Logan accused bitterly.

"No," Mitchum raised his tone slightly, "But you have to understand – "

"I don't have to understand anything!" Logan shouted. "Milton manipulated you into manipulating me into joining the company. You lured me, with your big promises – you should have believed me – regardless - I am your son!"

Mitchum swallowed, realizing that the hurt and betray ran deeper than he initially suspected. However, he chose to ignore his son's plea for now, and respond with a diligent "And you got the job, because you were the most qualified."

"I'm supposed to believe that, coming for you?" he sneered

"Logan," Mitchum tried, but he interjected.

"Whatever. I had the job. You put me and Rory through hell for that," he locked eyes with his father, "I gave up so much for that job," his tone was tired and strained but Mitchum showed little sympathy, fed up that this conversation wasn't going as how he planned.

"That's life, son."

"Please," Logan shouted, "You wanted it. You wanted it to be tough for us. An evil twisted payback for being with Rory, and not someone who's up to your standards."

"No offense," he shot Rory a soft smile.

"None taken," she shrugged, slightly amused by the Huntzberger Men Smack Down of the Year.

"That's not true," Mitchum retaliated. "Rory is a perfectly wonderful girl. She's been a great wife to you and I'm sure she'll be a lovely mother."

"Oh, but I'm not a great writer, right?" Rory shot back suddenly taking offence in Mitchum's tone. It wasn't particularly demeaning, but then again, she'd been waiting on a chance to go off on Mitchum for a while now.

"Always a mother, never a writer," she spat.

"That's not the point…." Mitchum said, growing tired.

"I think that _is_ most certainly the point, Mitchum," Rory said condescendingly, "Since, you see, it was just too convenient I was doing a good job, covering a lot of ground at Old York and it suddenly folded." Her tone was a perfect mix of sarcasm, anger and passive-aggressiveness.

"And, then, out of nowhere, you show up and hand Logan a job on a silver platter…" she continued.

"He had to work for it; he earned it." Mitchum interjected.

"That's what you say," Rory accused, "And, even if he did…"

"No offense," she shot Logan a soft smile.

"None taken," he shrugged, similar to her a few moments before. And like her, he was slightly amused by the Rory-Mitchum Smack Down of the Year.

"Even if he did," she breathed in, "It doesn't change the fact that Milton was the driving force behind it. That rat bastard decided a working Rory Gilmore was too much of a good thing and keeping me unemployed was the only was Logan would want to work for HPG." All the sweet-stickiness dissapered from her voice, and she was full-out shouting now.

Mitchum remained quiet.

"You know, I always thought you were the _ass hat_ that made Logan's life miserable, but I don't think so."

She angrily crossed her arms over her chest, "Not anymore. You, Mitchum Huntzberger, are living in ignorance if you do not believe that you were played by Milton Howards, the guy I used to look up to in college, reading article after article about his amazing acquisitions. Now, I can't help but wonder how many times he manipulated you, how much of your life he destroyed!"

She paused, before finishing in the same condescending tone, "It's almost ironic, isn't it, Mitchum?" She glared at him, waiting for an answer, but certainly not regretting she'd let him into the house.

"I am sorry," Mitchum said, after weighing his words carefully, "But you have to believe me when I say that Logan did earn his position at HPG and I wanted him to join the company, regardless of Milton's agenda."

He turned towards Rory, "And _you_ cannot only kill a man with your pen, but in spoken word, too." He chuckled a little, momentarily lightening the mood.

"You have to understand, that when I found out about the allegations – at the time – seemed so ludicrous."

She nodded, slowly, not sure what to make of the situation. Had they won this?

Logan spoke, looking for clarification, "But they aren't anymore?"

"No," Mitchum said, "No, they are not. Uh…" he ran a hand through his thinning hair, "That's why I am here."

Logan was waiting for his father to say that he had been right all along, about Rory, about Milton, about everything, but he knew Mitchum was too proud for that. In fact, it was something short of a miracle that Mitchum was here, in the Gilmore-Danes living room, in the first place.

"Well," Logan sighed, the anger leaving his tone, "It's going to take more than an apology."

"Okay," Mitchum nodded.

"Wait, wait," Rory said suddenly, "Does this mean Milton is gone?"

"Yes, his contract with HPG has been terminated…" Mitchum shrugged, "I…" He swallowed.

Mentally, he was walking a fine line between letting all of his guard down and tainting that intimidating powerhouse image he had created long ago. His head always beat his heart, and he continued in a serious tone, "I know it is a lot to ask, but I have an offer to make you."

"If you think I'm going back to the company," Logan sighed, "Forget it. That ship has sailed, even if Milton _is _gone."

His father remained quiet, slightly taken aback being shot down so forcefully.

Logan clarified, "It's over." Rory rolled her eyes at the famous Huntzberger stubbornness and rubbed Logan's arm gently. Maybe Mitchum had something incredible to offer, though she doubted it.

"Just listen to him, okay."

"So," Mitchum cleared his throat in a business-like manner. "My offer to you, Logan, is as follows. You will rejoin Huntzberger Publishing as Senior Consultant, effectively taking Milton's former position. You may handpick the replacement for your job, though I have a pretty good idea who you would be inclined to choose…" He shot Rory a look, "And, even though I do not support mixing business with pleasure, considering the circumstances I would turn a blind eye."

Rory cocked her head, taking in Mitchum's offer. It seemed reasonable, but it was apparent that her husband did not agree with her.

"WHAT?" Logan exploded as he jumped off the couch. "You think coming here dangling _that_ in front of my face will make me want to run back to HPG, after the way you treated me? Are you _insane?_"

Logan continued his rant, "What are you thinking? Giving me my job back will make everything better? Did you not just hear me say that it – _you_ – almost ruined my marriage! You put your senior advisor above your own son and up until three minutes ago all you could do was insult my wife!"

He looked at Rory, "Is he serious?"

She shrugged in reply, growing slightly concerned at Logan's outburst. "You disgust me, you really do. You come here – to my mother-in-law's house – ruin a perfectly wonderful day, add unnecessary stress to my eight month pregnant wife's day and insult her to boot. I'll tell you what you can do with your _ridiculous_ offer…."

He paused, as he locked eyes with shocked Lorelai and a slightly drunk Luke, standing in the hallway. Logan wasn't sure how long Lorelai had been listening, but by the look on her face it was obvious she had heard enough.

"Get out, Mitchum," Lorelai said firmly, fire in her eyes. Mitchum knew he couldn't compete with the wrath of Lorelai Gilmore. She was dead serious, and she would do anything to defend her loved ones. She undoubtedly loved her own daughter, but in was immediately evident that she loved Logan as one of her own.

Mitchum shot his son and daughter-in-law one last apologetic look, before heading for the door, defeated.

"I'm sorry," Logan immediately told Lorelai.

She shot him a half smile, "Don't worry about it. It's not the first Society Smack down I've witnessed in my time."

Lorelai quickly assessed the damage, which only appeared to be emotional. She sighed, "Put on some coffee,"

Rory perked up, "Yes, after tonight you are entitled to a cup…" Lorelai laughed, "Let me get Lukey-hopefully-not-Pukey in bed, and we'll," she ran a hand through her tangled hair, "devise a fight plan."

* * *

_So? I can't help but ask - what did you think? I'm dying to know. Let me know! _


	35. Chapter 35

**Hello, hello. **

**How jazzed am I the log-in thingy is up & running? **

**I know I should be writing for NSSL – but I can't help myself. I'm sure you don't mind. This chapter has a little flashback to what was happening at HPG while Rory & Logan were at the Stars Hallow Baby Shower, and it also deals with the aftermath of Mitchum's little visited to the Hallow. Exciting times had by all!! **

**I got some reviews saying that people expected the grandparents to be at the Baby Shower and I might have written this in a previous chapter, but I meant that the grandparents would be at the Hartford Shower (yes, Rory gets two!) So, hope that clears up the confusion. **

**Thank-you all for the reviews! I love them so much! ****Thank-you all so much from the bottom of my heart for all the loveliness you all have written about this story. I really, really love it. You guys are the best!!! Let me know your thoughts on the latest. **

**Love and laughter, **

**Gilmoregirl19**

**Disclaimer: I do not own anything ASP created. **

* * *

Logan and Rory were sitting at the kitchen table each clenching a coffee mug. Rory placed a steaming mug at the head of the table, where her mother was bound to sit. The couple sat there in silence, each entwined in his own thoughts, trying to make sense of the situation.

"Two aspirin, a tall glass of water and a trash basket should be enough, right, to get Luke through the repercussions of Miss Patty's famous punch, right?" Lorelai entered the kitchen with a smirk.

"Yeah," Rory nodded distractedly, and then snapped back to reality, "I thought Luke only drank beer?"

Lorelai shrugged, "I doubt he'll be drinking much of anything…" she chuckled before taking a long sip of her coffee and staring at the solemn faces before her.

"So, which one of you wants to tell Mommy what happened?"

Logan smiled softly, happy that his mother-in-law was able to take all of this in her stride. "Mitchum just showed up."

Rory stirred her coffee, "Full of.. .." she trailed off, not really sure what she was trying to say. Lies? Hope? Promises waiting to be broken?

"Shit?" Lorelai supplied jokingly.

"Close," Logan shrugged, "It appears that after I left …"

Lorelai interjected, seeking clarification, "After no longer wanting to be a pawn in Milton and HPG's evilness…"

"Correct," Logan nodded, "Apparently, Milton had his eye on Old York, because Rory worked there. He thought that if she were to be unemployed, it would urge me to support her, find a 'real' job, which HPG aptly provided," he rolled his eyes. "Once Milton unintentionally admitted this to Rory, all hell broke loose…"

"You quit, and showed up here," Lorelai summarized.

"Yeah," Rory and Logan nodded simultaneously.

Lorelai remained silent for a moment. "I'm proud of you, Logan. That…" she paused, "Not everyone would do that."

"What choice did I have?" he took a sip of his coffee, "Not after how he treated Rory."

Lorelai and Logan shared a smile, still rebuilding their newfound trust.

"Anyway," Logan continued, "Now it appears Mitchum 'took care of' the Milton situation and wants me to come back to HPG…"

"And," Rory said with anger lacing her tone, "He is giving me a job as some kind of weird, corporate peace-offering!"

Lorelai remained silent as she took in all this information. It had been a long day for her, what with all the baby shower activities. She took another long sip of her coffee.

"Well," she said, inhaling deeply, "This is quite a pickle. I mean, you could go back to HPG, but Mitchum might work you even harder as some twisted payback for leaving the company in the first place…."

She noticed Rory jotting this down on a makeshift pro-con list.

"But, he could welcome you with open arms, and become the fuzzy, cuddly daddy you've always wanted now that Satan Man Milton has left the building." She pointed at Rory, as she continued to ramble, 'And you, missy, could get your career back on track and become the famed writer slash editor slash powerhouse we all know that's in there, behind that pregnant belly…"

Logan and Rory shared a warm smile.

"Or," Lorelai shrugged, the calmness returning to her tone, "You two give Mitchum the big heave-ho and live off your trusts and drink gin martinis for the rest of your lives."

The three shared a much-needed laugh. "But, I suppose, you both could go work there and there are probably a billion ways this can blow up in your pretty, pretty faces…."

Logan and Rory exchanged a worried glance, as Lorelai left the room.

"Do you think it's too much for your Mom?" Logan asked, though Rory didn't have to respond as Lorelai returned to the kitchen.

"No, my boy," she told Logan, "It's not too much; however, in situation such as these I find it useful to contact the higher powers. The Ones in the Know," she widened her eyes as she revealed the Magic 8 Ball.

"A Magic 8 Ball?" Logan questioned skeptically.

"Excuse me," Rory shot back, in mock-offense, "The Magic 8 Ball was the one who told me to call you many a time during college!"

"Yeah," Lorelai put her hand on her hip, "And the 8 Ball told me to go with a blue and silver theme for the wedding!"

"So, don't mock the power of the Ball!" Lorelai and Rory joked in unison.

An amused smile appeared on Logan's face. He nodded and mumbled, "Dirty," which caused the Gilmore Girls to burst into a fit of laughter.

* * *

"_Logan," Mitchum said firmly, "Don't be rash. Let's talk about this, like men. I'm sure if you just listen to Milton…"_

_The office was tense as Logan, Mitchum locked eyes, and Mary-Lou stood there quickly exchanging glances between the father and son duo._

"_Mitchum," Rory started to say, jumping to her husband's defense but Logan shot her a look that indicating that it was pointless. _

_Instead, she squeezed his hand tighter._

_The elevator pinged, and Logan directed himself toward Mary-Lou._

'_I quit!' _

_Mitchum, Milton and a crew of HPG employees watched in disbelief as Logan pointedly lead Rory into the elevator. The doors closed with a gentle whoosh and whisked the couple away from HPG for, in that moment, what appeared to be forever. _

_Milton's shock was short-lived. He still had his job; Mitchum chose to believe him and not Logan. Milton knew that Mitchum's decision would have a devastating effect on relationship the Huntzberger men had started to establish, but he frankly didn't care. It was business, not an Oprah Special. Granted, he wouldn't have minded if the young Huntzberger had stayed on as a senior consultant; however, he, personally, had no purpose for him. He had used him to gain a fresh a fresh perspective on the Industry and Logan had pretty much hand-fed Milton all the happenings in the Industry_

_After a moment of musing, Milton came to the conclusion that Logan's departure would not have a dramatic effect on Huntzberger Publishing. "Mary-Beth," he snapped his fingers. _

"_Mary-Lou, sir," she corrected gently, as she jumped to the notoriously cunning man's side. _

"_Call security," he continued, without acknowledging her correction, "PNG for the pair of them." _

_She opened her mouth to say something, to defend her beloved boss. The boss that actually remembered her name! However, she closed her mouth and quietly walked away from Milton. She knew it was pointless. _

"_Milt," Mitchum sighed, while gently massaging his temples, hoping that would help him comprehend what had just happened, "Seems a bit harsh, don't you think?" _

"_Nonsense," the overweight man boomed as he patted his longtime business partner on the back, "After that little dramatic display he is lucky you didn't cancel his trust!" A devilish laugh escaped Milton as he walked back to his office. He stopped short of his door and turned around, looking back at the unsettled staff of HPG and a forlorn looking Mitchum._

"_You know what you need?" Milton asked rhetorically, while patting his ever-expanding stomach, "A deliciously stressful day mapping out our new take-over strategy…" He paused in a sinister way, before continuing, "Or a good kick in the rump!" _

_Milton had anticipated that his unique managerial style would jolt his employees back to life; instead they just stared at Mitchum. The HPG employees had never known Mitchum not to be anything but poised, tough, and viciously determined in running his business. Nevertheless, these employees were extremely loyal to Mitchum, and later, Logan as these men respected them, much more than Milton did. _

_For them to see Mitchum so painfully shaken and hesitant was unthinkable; even more than seeing Logan walk-out. All eyes were focused on Mitchum, waiting for his next move._

_He shot Milton a disapproving look, though he merely shrugged in reply. Rationally, Mitchum knew Milton was right. This wasn't a time to involve personal issues, as there was work to be done. He cleared his throat before addressing the assembly of employees. _

"_Milton is right. However grim this situation appears, we must not forget that our top priority is our business. Now, please try to keep the office gossip to a minimum today." _

_A flurry of questions directed at Mitchum erupted from the handful of employees, but Mitchum silenced them, before turning briskly on his heel, brushing past Milton and retreating to his office. _

* * *

"Okay," Lorelai held the Magic 8 Ball in her hands. "Oh, Magic 8 Ball, work your magic powers. Should Rory work for HPG?"

She shook the ball around, hard, before placing it in the middle of the table and revealing the answer. "Ask again later."

Lorelai let out a frustrated sigh, "This thing is broken."

It was the 15th question the group had asked the Magic Ball, without any form of success.

"Well," Rory said thoughtfully, picking it up and swirling it around, "We've had it since I was eleven…"

"I guess the magic fades after 14 years, "Lorelai nodded. "Crap."

* * *

"_Come in," Mitchum said absentmindedly as he flicked through the open file on his desk. _

"_Sir…." A soft female voice spoke. He looked up and saw a petite twenty-something redhead standing in his doorway. It was Gabby, Logan's secretary. Correction: ex-secretary. _

_Mitchum had expected to see her here today. She was probably worried about her job, the job Mitchum handpicked her to do. He had made sure prior to Logan's arrival that he would have a dependable and harmless secretary. Gabby, though undeniable pretty, was a mother-of-three from Brooklyn and was entirely devoted to her high school sweetie, Phil. _

_Mitchum Huntzberger had firsthand experience with 'eager' secretaries and, while it didn't damage Milton and Shira's relationship, Mitchum had not wanted distractions like that for his son. It wasn't until later, of course, he realized that he needn't have worried. _

"_Gabby," Mitchum gestured, "Please sit down," _

"_Oh, sir," she protested, nervously. She was bearing news of the 'Blurt and Bolt' variety and not a leisurely sit-down, tell-me-your-deepest secrets kind. _

"_No, I insist," he said, and waited for her to take a seat in one of the dark leather chairs that graced the space in front of desk. _

"_Now," he nodded reassuringly, "I don't want you to be worried about your job…" _

"_I'm not, sir," she interjected, timidly fiddling with the hem of her skirt. However, maybe after her revelation, she would be. _

_Unfazed, Mitchum continued, "I want to assure you that, even though my son has decided HPG is no longer a suitable place of employment…." _

"_About that, uh, that's why I'm here…" It was another failed attempt. _

"…_his decision does not affect you, in any way. We will redistribute your talents, so to speak, within the company." _

"_But - ," _

_Mitchum swiveled around in his leather chair, "No buts, Gabby. Perhaps Clark in IT needs a secretary…" he rubbed his chin in thought, "Or David, up in Media Releases, or Chelsea in Art Design. What do you think?" _

"_Uh," Gabby shrugged, unsure as how to respond. _

"_Oh, wait!" Mitchum exclaimed, "I've got it." _

_He looked at Gabby, anticipation building in his eyes and proud for figuring out the perfect job for his top secretary, "Milton needs a good secretary like you!" _

_Gabby waited for a beat, causing Mitchum's face to fall. _

"_No good?" _

_She shook her head, slowly. She was nervous, as no one had ever gone to Mitchum and told him he was wrong. He would chew out business associates, who dared question his vision. What would he do to a secretary? Her fellow secretaries called her crazy, with a capital C; but, Gaby knew this situation was different. _

_It wasn't about business, it was about justice. Mitchum deserved to know the truth. She hoped he would believe her. She knew he had picked her to be Logan's secretary. Yes, because she was more than qualified, but more importantly, because he seemed to trust her. _

_She chewed the inside of her cheek nervously. Hopefully he trusted her enough to tell him a story he most certainly did not want to here. _

"_Uh," she started off hesitantly, but she was determined to look Mitchum in the eye, "Though I'm sure many secretaries would be honored to work for Mr. Howards, I'm afraid I'm not one of those." _

_She immediately returned her gaze to her skirt, and continued to fiddle with the hem. _

"_Is that so?" _

_Gabby looked up again, "Yes." She detected doubt in the elder Huntzberger's eyes. _

"_Do you care to elaborate?" He asked, though the pit of his stomach told him she was going to tell him something he had already heard today. _

"_Uh," she swallowed, "There is a small closet between my office and Mr. Howards, sir." _

"_Go on," he nodded. _

"_I, uh, overheard Milton talking to someone of the phone today about, uh, how Lo – Mr. Huntzbergers' employment at HPG came about…."she trailed off. She looked at him, watching his face harden. He wanted to hear the whole story from Gabby; however, he decided to spare this girl the agony and humiliation of relaying the information to him. _

_He knew she was telling the truth. He trusted his gut. He felt stupid for not doing so with his son and daughter-in-law, but prior to Milton's behavior after Logan's departure he could not envisage Milton abusing their relationship, manipulating him, hurting Logan and Rory. And, as always, Mitchum put his head above his heart. _

"_Thank-you, Gaby," he nodded. "I have heard enough." _

_She blinked; relieved he had let her off the hook and stood up. "I am sorry, sir." _

_He mumbled something in acknowledgement. _

_She left the room in silence, though Mitchum stopped her once she reached the door. _

"_Gaby?"_

"_Yes, Mr. Huntzberger?"_

"_Please arrange a PNG-departure for Mr. Howards," he spoke slowly, "I trust you will handle this situation delicately." _

_She noticed the strain in his voice had made way for his typical businesslike manner. _

"_Of course, sir," she nodded, "Anything else?" _

_He contemplated her question for a moment, before answering, "Car-service to Stars Hallow." _

* * *

"I guess," Lorelai said, tossing Twinkies to Logan and Rory, "The question is whether or not you two want to work for Mitchum."

The pair exchanged uncertain glances.

"I don't know," Logan answered Lorelai.

"It's your dream job," Rory interjected.

"I know, Ace," he nodded slowly, "but I can't, not after what Mitchum did. I would like to, but his job offer to you was more like an insult, an afterthought really, more than a legitimate offer."

"He has a point, hon," Lorelai noted.

"I know," she replied, "But…" Instead of finishing her sentence she yawned.

"It's late," Logan smiled softly, reaching for Rory's hand. "Maybe we should call it a night," he suggested.

Lorelai nodded, looking at the kitty-cat clock above the kitchen sink. "3:00 am seems like a reasonable time." She looked over at Rory, knowing that she was not ready to call it a night, despite the yawn.

"A nice hot shower might wash some of Mitchum Stress away," Lorelai suggested.

"You want to go first, Ace?" Logan asked Rory.

She shook her head, "You go."

* * *

_Mitchum opened Milton's office door with such a force it caused the frames on the wall to rattle. _

_Milton looked up from his desk in angry surprise, but his features softened once he realized who dramatically entered his office. _

"_Mitchum, always a pleasure," he smiled invitingly. _

_Ideally, Mitchum would have punched Milton right there, or fire a whole list of expletives at the vile man. But, Mitchum was a Society Man and Society Men of a Certain Standard to not take part in fistfights or excessive profanity, at least not sober. _

_Instead, he spoke in the same icy tone his son had mastered over the years. _

"_I expect you to be out of here at 4:00 pm," _

_Milton narrowed his eyes, "Excuse me?" _

"_You heard me, you manipulating son of a bitch," he lowered his voice, "The game stops here." _

"_Game?" Milton questioned, hesitantly. _

"_Cut it," Mitchum continued, "I should have you arrested over this…. It's over." _

"_So," Milton shut his laptop unimpressed, "I'll walk. I'll leave this shithole behind me. Big deal, Mitch," he shrugged, "I'll retire, sail around the world….yeah, real way to punish me." He winked, a devilish smile creeping across his face. _

"_Yes," Mitchum nodded, "Especially since that boat is all you have left." _

_Milton's eyes' widened in surprise, as Mitchum continued. "I've made sure that you are finished in this industry. Mary-Lou is typing up your press release about your departure as we speak. It's such a shame that you had so much of your assets tied up in the business, isn't it?" _

_A wave of panic washed over Milton, "Excuse me?" _

"_Oh, don't worry," Mitchum waved Milton's concern away, "The New York Library is just thrilled with Milton Howard's generous donation in the name of Rory and Logan Gilmore. And you, you ass, you've got money left, just enough to get by. Just like how you started out." _

"_You son of a bitch!" Milton yelled, sweeping his arm across his desk, pushing an array of papers, candy wrappers, soda cans and files to the ground. _

"_Now, Milton," Mitchum said in his icy cold tone and unfazed by Milton's outburst, "You forgot you, exactly, you were dealing with. Unlike you, I am not a country boy with a humble background," Mitchum mocked him, "I was raised in this world and no matter how wealthy you think you are, upbringing trumps wealth every time." _

_Milton narrowed his eyes, "You have no right…." _

_Mitchum interjected, "You had no right, you lying bastard! You had no right to push that organization into bankruptcy. Logan would have come to us on his own, I told you that. I knew that – I know my son, dammit. You had no right to use them that way and purposefully hurt them!" _

_He self-consciously ran a hand through his balding hair. It was over. No more. Mitchum had said too much, Milton didn't deserve to hear this. Not anymore, at least. _

"_Since when did you become a family man?" Milton sneered, as he walked to the door, brushing past Mitchum. _

"_It isn't really a concern to you, is it?" he spoke calmly as he watched Milton, his one-time confidant, walk away from him and a life created on lies. _

* * *

"So, now that our boy is gone," Lorelai looked at her daughter, "What's wrong?"

"It's just," she sighed, unsure how her mother would react, "I'm not sure if I want to work…."

"For HPG?" Lorelai snorted, "No one's blaming you there, hon."

"No, mom," Rory shook her head, "I mean, you know, with the baby and everything…" she bit her bottom lip. She knew this would hit her mother hard, as she had not raised Rory to be this traditional.

Lorelai mulled over Rory's words for a moment. "You haven't told Logan, have you?" Her tone wasn't angry, but curious.

"No," Rory shook her head slowly.

"Because…"

"I don't know how to," Rory shrugged. "I mean, Mom, he's only known me as the Ace Reporter…."

"Not true." Lorelai looked at Rory's puzzled expression. "Two words: Yacht Theft."

Rory smiled at her Mom, "Okay, save for one six month period during my college career. I doubled my study load to make up for lost time, and Logan, he knew I wasn't happy about being a drop-out."

Lorelai nodded, convinced as Rory continued, "Apart from that, I was the girl who said no to sex before all major exams, so I could study, the girl who said no to his proposal because I couldn't dream of putting him before my career, I was the girl that stayed in her pajama's for longer than she cares to remember after being laid off…." she took a sip of her coffee, "Now, I'm the girl that doesn't want to even think about working, because of Baby G…"

"Tell Logan," Lorelai urged gently.

"But," she sighed, "What will he think?"

"That it is very Donna Reed of you," Lorelai laughed, but quickly became serious as she saw the distraught on her daughters face. "Honey, Logan just wants what's best for you. He loves you, and he'll love you if you have a high-flying career or if you decide to stay home and raise your little girl."

"What about you?"

"Oh, I'm just the Grandma. It's just fun sleepovers and lots of junk-food to make Mommy and Daddy mad," Lorelai shot her daughter a quick smile, "It's in the handbook, Grannies United sent it over."

"You know what I meant," Rory laughed, "You aren't disappointed?"

"Well," Lorelai sighed, "You have to do what makes you happy."

Rory understood that this was her mothers' way of supporting her daughter, even though she was slightly disappointed. "It'll be easier for you, for sure." Lorelai continued, "With a husband, and the freedom to not have to work. Maybe I would have stayed home", she shrugged, "But, don't lose yourself, hon. Don't be one of those moms who knows all about Elmo and Big Bird and nothing about politics or…" she smiled, "Perez Hilton."

Rory laughed. "I know," she smiled a sly smile, "I've been working on that. Don't worry."

"Okay," Lorelai nodded.

The mother daughter duo shared a warm smile as Rory noticed that the shower had stopped running, so she got up and examined her bedroom. There she found Logan, wearing just a pair of gray sweats, sprawled out across the bed.

"Logan is passed out," she informed her mom with a smile, upon returning to the kitchen.

"That boy," she laughed, "and they say men are the stronger ones."

Rory laughed, "You know he loves his job at HPG."

"Crazy, right," she teased.

"He needs that job," Rory said seriously, taking a bite of the Little Debbie Brownies her Mom had opened for them. "Things between him and Mitchum just started to straighten out. It's like he craves that recognition from Mitchum, even though he doesn't need it. Besides, he is so awesome at his job."

"I know," Lorelai replied, "It's changed him, Rory."

Rory scrunched up her nose, worried that her Mom would go off in a dismissive rant, but she didn't. "I know I was mad with him, for treating you the way he did, but I know he acted the best he could. At least, later on in the mission…." she shot Rory a half smile.

"But," she continued, "who's to say he can keep that up, if he goes back to the new and improved HPG?" She bit off a piece of brownie.

Rory remained silent for a moment, before answering her mom. "Me."

The plan formulated in her head, before she could even doubt it. Without thought, she grabbed her cell, and called a car. She caught the shocked look in her mother's eye. "What," Rory shrugged, "I'm using my Huntzberger power for good," she winked.

Rory got up, put on her coat and grabbed her bag.

"Rory!" Lorelai exclaimed, following her daughter around the house, "It's like 4:00 am! Where are you going?! You don't just call a car at 4 in the morning, unless you are Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie off to Mozambique to pick up Lucky Number Seven and possibly Eight to add to the brood!"

Rory smiled at her Mom and hugged her, "I know what I'm doing. Just tell Logan not to worry and send him home, okay, Mom?"

"Hon," Lorelai tried again, "Just talk it over in the morning, uh, correction in few hours. Can't this wait a few hours?"

"No," Rory shook her head and stepped out to the porch, waiting for the car. "I need to be there first thing, and I'll sleep in the car," Rory stressed as she caught the worry in her Mother's eye.

"Fine," she relented, "Just tell me where you are going!"

"New York," Rory smiled a wide smile.

A few moments later, the black town car – her chariot – arrived. She got in, let herself fall onto the buttery leather interior and fell fast asleep as peaceful dreams of the future filled her mind.

* * *

_So? What do you think? Don't be too mad at Rory's lack-of-enthusiam about a career, okay. It'll work out. Promise. Psst. Please Review!_


	36. Chapter 36

**Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! I've got a bunch excuses some true, some made up (exams, sick cat, college, the flu, flat tire, stop light, over slept, twisted ankle.) But, I know you don't want to hear them. So, get on and read! **

**It's a chapter full of Rory-Mitchum confrontation. **

**Review if you are happy I updated (I'm secretly hoping to break 800 reviews by the end of this story. Are you up to the challenge? What?! Only if I update more often? Okay, okay…I hear you, I hear you!) Meanwhile, let me know what you think and know I appreciate all the reviews, adds and favorites. Still blows my mind! **

**Love laced with laughter, **

**Gilmoregirl19**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Gilmore Girls, or Frank. **

* * *

'Here you are, Mrs. Huntzberger,' Frank, the driver said, handing Rory a cup of coffee.

It was the gas station variety, a watered down brew done no favors by powered creamer and it was served in a Styrofoam cup complete with an ill-fitting lid. Not even the sticky bottle of vanilla or cinnamon flavoring that was bound to be next to the coffee station in the gas station could have saved this poor excuse for a drink.

However, being desperate times and all, she shot the driver a grateful smile and embraced the nasty coffee. She took a small sip and decided that she had consumed much worse on the campaign trail.

She continued to take small sips of her coffee as the limo pulled away from the pump and carried on with the drive to the Huntzberger Publishing Groups' office building.

She had left Stars Hallow with such confidence and determination, ready to use her fighting words and to verbally kick some HPG ass. But now, as the car closed in on the City, Rory's confidence was shrinking by the minute. Mitchum would probably see her, but would he listen? Would he want to hear Rory defend her husband, would he want to fix the damage that had been done to Logan and Mitchum's relationship? Or, would he let Rory ramble then interrupt without warning and trick her into something – a job – she wasn't after in the first place.

They were stopped at a light and these questions were on spin cycle in her mind. All she had to do was tell the driver to turn the car around, head back to Stars Hallow and it would be as if this had never happened. She mentally made a simple pro-con list and as she felt the car inch forward she knocked feverishly on the reinforced glass divider.

"Ma'am?" Frank asked, as the divider slid down.

"I have to pee," she smiled, almost apologetically. It was the story of her pregnant-clichéd life.

He nodded, "Anything else?"

"I need a taco."

Frank laughed at the strange request, but then again, he had been chauffeuring Mrs. Huntzberger around since she was 'just' Rory Gilmore, the only 'no-strings girl' Logan ever lent the car to, so he had become accustomed to Rory's requests.

"Of course," he said, inching his way through the morning traffic, "And what do tacos mean?" he asked.

"Nothing," Rory laughed, "But it's the only food that'll prepare a person for a screaming match with a Huntzberger man."

"I see," Frank said his tone laced with laughter, buzzing the screen up.

"Thanks, Frank," Rory smiled, letting herself fall back into the buttery leather seats. She quickly checked her phone to make sure no one had called her. She was relieved to find that she was Miss Unpopular this morning and a huge smile crept over her face. Bring it on, Huntzberger, bring it on.

* * *

Rory absentmindedly tapped her fingers on the banister, as HPG's elevator swooshed up the stories. Frank, being more powerful than he ever let on, whizzed Rory passed the security checkpoint and told her he would wait for her in the parking garage. However, if she wasn't back in three hours he would come find her.

It was now or never, Rory knew and she was anxious. Her coming here would be office gossip for months, or even years to come. It might be quoted on well-known office blogs or even Page Six. She was a socialite after all. Take that Paris Hilton. She was a one woman army ready to take Mitchum Huntzberger down. However, her fighting mood changed as the elevator doors pinged open. It was as if a silent war had taken place. The office was empty and quiet, save for a lone telephone ringing in an office somewhere.

This threw Rory. Where was everyone?

"You came," Mitchum's voice dragged her from her thoughts.

Rory shifted her gaze so as to meet Mitchum. He looked awful. His thinning hair was tufted together, creating a less than stellar interpretation of the 'out-of-bed' look. He was wearing the same suit as he had been wearing during his visit to Stars Hallow though now, it was wrinkled, he had ditched the tie and a light stain was visible on his once-crisp shirt. Coffee, probably, or perhaps sauce from some fast-food meal he had consumed.

Mitchum had bags under his eyes; his skin was pale like porcelain and more wrinkled than ever before. It was true; stress considerably aged a man.

"Uh," Rory was slightly shocked by Mitchum's appearance. "I came…"

"Logan?" Mitchum wanted to know.

"In Stars Hallow," Rory stated unsurely, not knowing how much she wanted to give away to him.

Mitchum nodded, "I always knew Rory Gilmore had a cunning side to her." He let out a hallow laugh, making Rory feel uncomfortable. It was hard to gauge this Mitchum. He sounded a little drunk and his disheveled appearance didn't do anything to help.

"Mitchum…" Rory started slowly, carefully.

"Coffee, Rory?" he interjected, "Or something a little stronger?" he grinned, swishing his Starbucks travel mug around.

"I am pregnant," Rory replied, slightly offended.

Mitchum let his eyes linger on her pregnant belly. "Coffee it is then," he turned on his heel, leaving a confused Rory in a very empty lobby.

"You coming?" he called.

Rory curiously followed Mitchum down the hall and watched as made her a pot of coffee. They waited in awkward silence as the coffee brewed.

"Milk?" Mitchum asked her, taking the carafe filled with dark brown liquid and hovering it over a mug.

She nodded, "A splash and two sugars." She continued to watch as he made her coffee to order, and gratefully took the mug from him. She took a sip, closing her eyes and savoring the deliciousness of the drink.

Opening her eyes, Rory caught Mitchum shooting her a puzzled look. "I never would have guessed you like coffee that much," he clarified, taking the mug from her and refilling it.

She laughed at the oddness of the situation. She was tense, but at ease at the same time. She had spent the entire ride strategizing, planning Mitchum's downfall and as it seemed that that had been taken care of. Before her stood an obviously broken man.

Rory smiled, taking the mug once more, "Yeah, well, I never would have guessed to find the great Mitchum Huntzberger alone in his office, apparently abandoned by his staff…"

"What makes you think they abandoned me?" Mitchum asked tightly, walking out of the break room.

Rory trailed behind him, "I don't think you'd have them all fired," she stated simply and braced herself for the yelling that was about to follow.

"You think or you know?" Mitchum demanded. His wasn't yelling, like she expected him to, but it wasn't the sloppy, possibly drunk tone he had taken before.

"Excuse me?" Rory asked, following him into his office.

"Sit down," Mitchum instructed, "It's that indecisiveness that's been standing in the way of your journalism career!"

If Rory hadn't been eight months pregnant and physically unable to jump up from her leather office chair, she would have smacked him in the face and stormed out.

"What?" Rory was offended. "It wasn't indecisiveness that stood in the way of my journalism career!" She spoke hotly, "I think – no, I _know_ – it was you!"

"Is that so?" Mitchum asked smugly.

"Yes," Rory threw her hands up in anger. All the sympathy she had felt for Mitchum and his empty office was gone. "You played mind games with me, trying to convince me I'm not good journalist and then as soon as I accept a job within 10 miles of your office, you have the place fold!!!"

"It was Milton," Mitchum corrected, "whom meddled with Old York. And, I still stand by my reasoning that you are not an excellent journalist."

Rory was about to contradict him, but Mitchum raised his hand, "You doubt too much. You care too much; you don't have that certain something to excel as a journalist."

"That's not true," Rory stated angrily, "I am a damn good journalist, my time on the campaign trail proved that."

"Blogging is quite a different field, Rory, and if you were that interested in being a journalist you wouldn't have walked out that day at the Stamford Gazette."

Rory shot him a blank look.

"It was a test, Gilmore, a test I make all interns and even Logan do. Why do you think I made him work 100 hour weeks?!"

Rory now glared at him angrily, as he continued, "A great journalist would have known it was a test and a determined journalist would have gone the extra mile to prove me wrong and not, as I believe I read in the papers, steal a yacht."

"I was a kid," Rory tried to justify her actions; "I was 20. What 20-year old goes against the great Mitchum Huntzberger?"

"A 20-year old who believes she is a great journalist, a 20-year old that was dating my son at the time. If it were me, I would have used my resources a little better…." Mitchum sighed, "However, that is obviously in the past," he pointed at Rory's stomach, "You clearly have a different set of priorities now."

Rory looked at her stomach. It was true; her priorities had changed quite a bit.

"It's a shame, since you would have great addition to HPG since I do believe you have excellent writing skills."

"Well, whatever," Rory waved his maybe-compliment away, "It doesn't matter anyway since it's obvious that HPG is going down, and fast."

Mitchum contorted his face, but remained silent. Certain calmness returned to her voice and she hoped to veer the conversation back to Mitchum's problems and insecurities instead of her own.

"Where is everyone, Mitchum?" she asked.

"What do you want to hear, Rory?" he croaked, "That the rumors about Logan and consequently Milton's departure were spun so out of control that I lost all credibility as the CEO of this organization, all credibility as a father to HPG's single most beloved member of staff?"

Rory shrugged, as Mitchum continued, "As Mary-Lou put it, "We can't work for a man who can't even stand up for his own son, especially not a son with a pregnant wife. And, what a lovely thing she is, too."

Rory remained silent as she let his words sink in.

"They are on strike," Mitchum sighed tiredly after a few moments of silence.

"Is that why you came to Stars Hallow?" Rory asked quickly, a hidden rage lacing her tone. She knew Mitchum always operated with an agenda. It wasn't as if she didn't have an agenda, since she did. And she needed to play her cards right, in order to pull it off. For once, she was proud Emily Gilmore was her grandmother as she knew that deep-down that same sly spirit flowed through her veins.

She was pleased that Mitchum revealed such a valuable piece of information. It was clear that the staff worshipped Logan and without his return their departure would be permanent, meaning HPG would be forced to shut its doors, effectively signaling the biggest publishing bust ever. If that didn't shame the family name, nothing would. Rory sighed heavily, knowing that the future of Huntzberger Publishing Group was in her hands.

"Partly, yes," Mitchum relented. "Is it a crime for wanting to see my son?"

"Depending on the reasons, yes," Rory bit back. "Admit it, Mitchum, you simply want Logan for the business because you know that without him you are worthless."

Mitchum shot her a blank stare.

"It must be a terrible feeling to know that the son you loathe has the upper hand," Rory shot him a significant glare.

"He doesn't have the upper hand," Mitchum countered instinctively, causing Rory to shoot him an disbelieving look.

"Right, because nothing says power like an empty office building."

Mitchum remained silent as a small devilish grin appeared on his face, "Perhaps I've underestimated you, Gilmore."

Rory winced as he called her 'Gilmore'; Mitchum only did that when he was very mad. He continued, "But let's be clear, I do not loathe Logan."

"Maybe it's a strong word," Rory shrugged, "But it's obvious you don't care…"

"Stop right there," Mitchum bellowed, "I have only ever handled in the best interest of my son!"

"Hardly," Rory spat in reply, "If you cared you wouldn't have worked Logan like a dog for six months, you wouldn't have kept him away from his family and you wouldn't have let him walk away!"

"It's part of his training and he knew that. You knew that!" he sighed heavily, "And this, ladies and gentlemen," he spoke to the non-existent crowd, "is why you don't mix family and business."

"Give me a break," she snorted, "All you've done your whole life is mix you personal life with your business!"

She caught the shocked look in Mitchum's face, so she angrily fired off some examples, "Milton was your best friend, you've groomed Logan for HPG since he was four years old, you put out several music magazines because Honor wanted you to, you put out Home and Garden magazines since Shira wanted you to!"

Mitchum stood up from his desk, hovering over Rory, "Logan is a Huntzberger and a Huntzberger belongs at HPG. It's as simple as that!"

Rory looked up him, for a brief moment she considered slapping his face, but she didn't.

"Bullshit," she said darkly. "All you care about is keeping up appearances, Mitchum," she continued in disgust, "You are just as bad as those high society women!"

Mitchum moved away from her, letting himself fall back in his chair. "Really, now?" he said unimpressed.

"Damn right," Rory brushed her bangs away from her forehead, "You sent Logan to the London Offices to keep him out of your way… I bet you were trying to land a big deal and you couldn't afford the possibility of bad press!" She caught the guilty look on Mitchum's face.

"And then," she continued angrily, "he comes back reformed, starts a potentially great business for HPG and you don't even have the decency to support him! You let him walk out when that deal failed, too! I can't believe you have the audacity to suggest Logan belongs at HPG just because of his last name! That proves that you don't care about him!"

Rory knew she was playing a mean game, but it was the only way to play. If Logan came back to HPG on his own would mean a serious blow to her husband's ego – one she wasn't sure he could take. Besides, it was time someone brought Mitchum down a peg or two.

"I do care about him, Rory!" Mitchum said quietly. It was an unexpected reaction, but Rory took it just the same. She nodded for him to continue.

"Maybe it's not that fuzzy nonsense you are used to in Stars Hallow, but it's the same," he tapped his pointer finger on his desk, as if to prove a point.

"It's not the same!" Rory threw her hands up in frustration, "I know my parents love me, _have always loved me_. Logan's lived his life in your footsteps, only receiving praise if his actions fit in with HPG's corporate goals!"

She inhaled, "Why the hell to do you think I let him work those 100 hour weeks? For his health?," she paused a beat, "No, because I knew he was doing it for your recognition. "

"Okay," Mitchum nodded, indicating that he had had enough, "Thank-you Dr. Phillipa. I don't think my son would do that."

"You think or you know?" Rory smugly placed her arms around her chest.

"Cute," Mitchum glared at her.

"No, I'm being serious, Mitchum," she said patronizingly, "You should know – I thought you knew your son so well?

"Perhaps," Mitchum suggested slowly, "He was craving some sort of recognition – but not from me specifically. He knows he's got talent, and he deserves credit for that."

"I see Logan gets his stubbornness from you," Rory rolled her eyes, "Why is it so hard for you to admit that you love your son? That he's more than just a business deal?"

"He knows that!"

"Obviously not, Mitchum," Rory sighed, "Otherwise it would be him in this chair instead of me!"

Mitchum remained silent as he realized that Rory had a point. However, he also knew that Rory wasn't being upfront with him. He could tell that she had an agenda of her own. Nevertheless, she had cornered him. He had admitted to her that HPG was nothing without Logan and it was obvious that Rory was the only one to persuade Logan to go back to the Group.

"So, why are you here?" Mitchum asked, changing the subject suddenly.

"Because," she stated simply, "I _do_ love my husband and I _know_ he loves this job for the job and solely not the recognition and that he's too talented to let it go to waste."

"Right," Mitchum brought his hands up to his chin, appearing to be deep in thought.

"What?" Rory asked hesitantly.

"It's just that's very noble of you," a devilish grin appeared on Mitchum's face, "Too noble perhaps."

Rory raised her hand to him, "Look, I'm here because of Logan. I am not going to stand by and let his career go to waste. He's too stubborn to give in."

"So you think you'll guilt me into giving in? To what exactly? I offered a job, and I'm sure you remember, he doesn't want to accept."

"Actually," Rory replied, "What you offered was a joke and frankly, quite insulting."

Mitchum raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"He wants a proper apology, Mitchum," she clarified.

"And what makes you think I'll do that?"

"I figure you owe me," Rory said in a business-like tone.

"I owe you?"

"Yes, yes, I believe you do," Rory nodded, "See, if it hadn't been for you and your company I still would have a job to go back to after this baby."

"Ah, yes," Mitchum nodded, "But I believe I offered you a position as well."

"Who said I was not accepting that offer?" Rory surprised Mitchum, "I just want it in a different form, that's all," she spoke in a business-like fashion.

"What?" Mitchum asked, "And give up the chance to be a journalist for HPG?"

"What's it to you," Rory shrugged, "You don't think I have the capability, you've let me know that many times before,"

"At least you listen," Mitchum let out a small laugh, "A journalist you aren't but you have writers blood and this proves, once again, that you do not have what it takes!"

"Really?" Rory let a smug smile play at her lips as she produced a small USB-stick from her purse, laying it down on Mitchum's desk. "I'm glad to hear that."

"What's this about?" Mitchum sighed tiredly.

"In addition to magazines, websites and newspapers I believe it's time that Huntzberger Publishing expands its line to books."

Mitchum exchanged a quick glance between Rory and the USB-stick. "Well, I think that depends on Logan."

"And I think that depends on Logan's contract," Rory replied, without missing a beat.

"Touché, _Huntzberger_, touché," Mitchum laughed. Rory smiled, noting that Mitchum had finally referred to as a Huntzberger. High praise from the mighty man, she thought.

Rory and Mitchum spent the following hour and a half debating the terms of Logan's contract. Rory insisted that Logan had to have at least 48 hours warning for a business trip and that work stayed at work. She argued long and hard that Mitchum was not to bring up work at family gatherings. Mitchum, in turn, pushed a mandatory business meeting in Boston once every two weeks and Logan attending 'social' functions after work.

Rory felt guilty about going behind Logan's back; it was almost too Society Wife of her. Nevertheless, she knew Logan wouldn't do this on his own.

"Anything else?" Mitchum said, scanning the contract.

"Nothing is official until Logan sees it," Rory said firmly, "He has the right to have his say."

"Fair enough," he said after a moment's thought.

"And," Rory said as an afterthought, "He can't know about the new venture," she said looking at the USB-stick.

"Because?"

"I said so," Rory offered by way of explanation.

"Fair enough," Mitchum chuckled again.

He had really come to see another side of Rory. In his eyes he had changed from unimportant college girlfriend, to the best thing that happened to his son, to the worst thing that happened to his son, to unexpected, unimportant wife, to a balls-to-the-wall-go-getting-foot-stomping-vicious negotiator. She had passion and she would fight for Logan to the end. It was really something quite remarkable.

"So," Mitchum sighed, "I'll come by tomorrow and apologize formally."

"Yes, yes you will," Rory nodded. "And I will make sure Logan will listen to that apology."

A heavy silence fell between the pair. Rory was wrapped up in guilt, but also an insane sense of accomplishment. She had cracked Mitchum Huntzberger.

"I love my son," Mitchum said suddenly, "And I couldn't have hoped for a better wife for him."

Rory shot him a surprised half smile. "I know," she softly.

He shook his head, shaking away the tender moment. "Look at the time," he glanced at the clock hung on his wall.

"Oh my," Rory got up, playing along with Mitchum's attempt to move on, "Frank must be worried sick."

"Better get going then," Mitchum suggested a little to eagerly.

Rory nodded as she and Mitchum stood up. She caught the sad look on the not-so-broken mans' face. It was almost tragic. Here he was, a grown man, who couldn't even cope with three little words.

"Good meeting," Mitchum smiled gently as he walked her to the door.

"Yes, it was," Rory replied, awkwardly leaning in, her pregnancy getting in the way, in an attempt to give him a hug.

Mitchum awkwardly patted her on the back, but the smile in his eyes was enough for Rory.

* * *

"How was the meeting?" Frank asked, as Rory stepped off the HPG elevator and onto the hard, shiny floor of the lobby.

"Good," Rory yawned, "Exhausting."

"Stars Hallow?" Frank asked, grabbing Rory's purse.

"No, the apartment," she said, switching her phone back on.

53 missed calls. All Logan. Maybe the apartment wasn't such a good idea.


	37. Chapter 37

**Enjoy! **

**Gilmoregirl19**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Gilmore Girls. **

* * *

Fifty-three missed calls. Rory nervously clicked her cell phone open and closed as sat on the backseat of the limo on her way home from the Huntzberger Offices. She debated whether to call Logan now, or face him when she got home. She knew he had to be furious as she quickly did the math on Logan's calling habits. The first call was logged at 8:15 that morning and she had received his last message a few minutes ago, at 12:15.

That gave him four solid hours to call. She imagined him fuming, stuck in the morning traffic, as he angrily or perhaps worriedly, pressed the redial button on his phone.

It also depended on how much Lorelai had told Logan. Maybe her mother had been evasive about her whereabouts exactly, and just told him she needed to get back to New York. However, the more she thought about it, the more unlikely that seemed. Her mother probably figured Logan had the right to know, considering his wife was pulling an Emily Gilmore and meddling.

Fifty-three missed calls. Four hours to call. That means her boy roughly averaged thirteen calls an hour or 0.2 calls a minute. She could not help smile at his impressive, albeit creepy and borderline stalker-ish accomplishment. She stifled a yawn. Her morning meeting with Mitchum tired her out and she was not looking forward to doing a similar battle with Logan. Fed up, she tossed her cell in her bag and decided that she was in desperate need of some coffee.

* * *

"I'm so sorry," she said, practically yelling as she burst through the apartment door. The giant macchiato with a triple espresso shot worked wonders on her fatigue.

"Babe, I know I should have left a note, or texted you or something, but I was just so excited last night. I just went and I'm so sorry," she continued rambling as she walked to him.

Logan stood silently at the kitchen counter, gently resting his arms on the marble countertop. The look on his face spoke volumes. It wasn't that he was mad, per say, but his wrinkled forehead, the bags under his eyes and pursed lips did not bode well for Rory.

"I just – I don't know – I had to go," she continued her rant, "Chalk it up to maternal instincts or something," she shot him a soft smile, hoping to see him mirror her expression but he didn't.

"Okay," she said, noting her defeat as she ran a hand through her messy hair. "I didn't want to give these to you now, but you've left me no choice."

She held out a white paper bag and smiled at him as she waited for Logan to take it, but he didn't.

"I got you make-up muffins from the coffee place you like so much, babe," she smiled at him, once more, but again with no avail.

She was slightly taken aback as this was much harder than she thought. Typically, her apologetic rambling, a sweet treat and her innocent sweet smile was all it took to melt his anger away.

Logan exhaled deeply, "How much coffee have you had?"

She frowned at him, quickly, since her caffeine consumption was not the topic at hand. "Uh, just the usual," she paused, "With a triple shot of espresso…."

There was no point in lying, since she knew he had coffee radar. She shot him another winning smile, as if that would cancel out her slight caffeine misstep, but he didn't bite.

He pointed at the muffin bag. "Better eat something," he said flatly, "Maybe that'll sop up some of the caffeine…"

Rory swallowed a deep sigh. He was trying to change the subject and she really didn't feel like a muffin, but she took one for Logan's sake.

"I think you broke some sort of record," she said, breaking off a piece of the baked good. She wanted him to reply and then they would fall into the same old routine of banter and making-up; but, he remained quiet.

"You average about 13 calls in an hour," she shrugged, "Or 0.22 calls a minute. To me, that's Guinness Book of Records worthy, but I'll have to call to find out," she managed a chuckle.

He opened his mouth to say something, but sighed deeply instead, letting her know that he was not in the mood for joking. All Rory wanted to do was explain to him why she felt so compelled to intervene.

She felt Logan's eyes follow her as she propped herself up on the barstool. "So, 53 calls," she broke off another piece of the muffin. "You must be pretty upset…."

"No…" Logan interrupted, but he didn't follow through. He was distracted, as if he was trying to figure out exactly what to say.

"Logan," Rory said, "Why are you so mad about this?"

"I'm not mad," he shot back immediately, though it was obvious in his tone.

"This," Rory waved her finger at him, "Is not mad?"

He sighed heavily, hating that she could always call him out. "I'm disappointed," he clarified.

"Disappointed?" she winced. Typically, 'disappointment' was far worse than just plain mad.

"Yeah," he nodded, 'Come on, Rory, how could you just go to Mitchum without me?"

The tone he used cause a wave of guilt to wash over Rory. He was truly confused and he had every right to be. She had broken their pact and hurt him. However, she was sure that if Logan heard her motives he would understand.

"Well…' she started to explain herself, but Logan cut her off.

"You know how I feel about _him_," He spoke with disgust, "I don't ever want to go back to HPG and he lured you there with his big promises and empty words …."

"That's not true," she interjected, but he didn't seem to hear her.

He quickly ran a hand through his hair. "Why'd you go, Rory?" he asked urgently.

"For us," she explained. "You need that job. You won't admit it, but that's what makes you tick. You love it. All the negotiating, the million dollar ulcer inducing business deals, the swanky networking parties…"

Logan's features softened slightly at the mention of his job, but they quickly changed as he realized that it was all in the past.

"Well," he said bitterly, "That ship has sailed. Besides, you never liked me working there and it's not like we need the money," he shot her a pointed look as he knew he was right. Money wasn't the issue.

"Please," Rory scoffed, "It's not about the money!" She pointed at him, "You need that job to keep you from going insane. You've never worked for the money; you work because you like it; because it makes you feel like you are contributing. And I need you to have that job, for your sake, for our sake and that of the baby!'

She deliberately left out the part about her not wanted him to work there, because that much had been true, before, of course, she renegotiated his contract. However, that was something she didn't want to reveal just yet. So, she stayed quiet as she let the words sink in on her husband.

"Whatever," he shrugged his brilliant comeback, "If it's that important to you I'll get a job at McDonalds. Nothing says self-actualization like flipping burgers."

"Mature," Rory sighed, resting her hand on her chin, "Why can't you just say it's about your Dad? You don't want to work at HPG because of Mitchum."

"Any sane person wouldn't deliberately sign up to work at HPG," he exclaimed as he threw he hands up in frustration.

"Six months ago you said something different," Rory reminded him.

"Yeah, well," he spat, "That's before he chose Milton over me!"

"Aha," Rory said triumphantly, "So that's what this is all about!"

Logan's features softened, letting her know she had been right all along.

"He didn't know about Milton, Logan," she said tenderly and he shot her a disbelieving look.

"Just… you have to trust me on this," she pleaded, "He honestly had no idea his best friend would do that to him and besides, Mitchum got his payback, too."

"So, what's this?" Logan questioned hotly, "You are taking _his_ side now?"

"I'm always on your side, Logan," she was offended he doubted that. Instead of arguing about that, she decided to go with the 'Mitchum-got-his-payback' route.

"Without you, Logan, HPG is nothing…"

This caught his attention. "Mitchum fired Milton because he realized he had made the wrong choice. Granted, it took him a while to realize that, but still…," she waved that thought away, "And now he's paying for it. The entire staff went on strike, out of solidarity with you!'

"Big deal," Logan shrugged as if it didn't matter, "Mitchum will hire a new team like that," he snapped his fingers to prove his point.

"You really think so?" she asked, raising her eyebrow slightly, "Who's he going to find that knows the business like you? Where is he going to get another Mary-Lou that can whip up a spread-sheet like nobody's business, or another guy in graphics who can fit every article into the copy? Without you, HPG might just as well close its doors!"

Silence fell over the apartment building as Logan contemplated Rory's words. It was mean of her to lay the guilt trip on so thick, but Rory knew she was right. He loved his job and all the craziness that went along with it. Deep-down, he liked working alongside Mitchum; he was just too stubborn to admit it. She watched as his features softened and realization dawned on him.

"Jesus, Ace," he whispered, cracking a smile for the first time that day, "You really are Emily's granddaughter."

A huge smile broke over her face. "I should be offended, but I'm not," she quipped, happy that their battle was over.

"So, what am I going to do now?" he asked, walking over to her.

"I'm glad you ask," she said happily, digging through her purse.

"What's this?" he asked as she handed him a thick legal document.

"The contract I negotiated with Mitchum!"

"What?" He was stunned.

"What?" she shrugged casually, "you didn't think I'd be all gung-ho if Mitchum wanted you to go back to working hundred-hour weeks!'

He let out a loud laugh and pressed a kiss on her forehead, "You, my dear Ace, are amazing!"

She smiled contently as she watched him quietly flick through the pages.

"I told Mitchum he wasn't to finalize a thing, until you had your say," Rory said seriously as he was finishing up reader, "I mean, you are the boss…"

"It's perfect, Ace," he sighed elated, "You know, we could take over the world with your super powers," he smirked.

"Nah," Rory laughed, "I couldn't – I'd miss all the good TV-shows."

The couple shared a much needed laugh and Logan pulled her into a hug.

"I'm glad you aren't mad anymore," she said, looking up to meet his gaze.

"I should be," he warned jokingly, "You practically gave me a heart attack this morning, when I woke up and realized you weren't there. You lied to me, talked to my father behind my back, robbed me of my manhood by asking my dad for my job back and negotiating a contract and waltzing in here, thinking some muffins could make up for it!" He spoke in mock-anger, causing a smile to play at Rory's lips.

"Blueberry muffins," she was quick to point out, "Your favorite."

"I know," Logan nodded, before continuing, "But I can't be mad, because you were right to go." He released her from their embrace, "So, where's your contract?"

"Oh," Rory waved his question away, "I don't have one." She shot him a quick smile.

"What?" Logan asked in disbelief. "You had Mitchum Huntzberger right where you wanted him and you didn't even you that to your own personal advantage?"

"I did," Rory let him know, "I made your contact, remember?"

"Yeah," he sighed, "but what about your career?"

"There's wiggle room at HPG for me…."

"But nothing specific," he finished for her.

"Right," she nodded.

"Why," Logan asked again, trying to understand her.

"Because I have more important things to deal with," she explained, patting her tummy, "Right, G?"

"Ace," Logan laughed, "You are too much!"

"Logan!" she exclaimed, "How can I possible work when I have to read scary chapter nine on birthing methods and watch baby week on TLC to prepare for the birth…and besides, we haven't even decided on the hardest part!"

"And that is?" Logan asked, humoring her. He knew she was dreading the actual birth of the baby.

"Naming Baby G!" she exclaimed in surprise.

He let out a small laugh. To his mind, naming the baby was the least of their problems.

"It's not funny," Rory frowned at him.

"Ace," he drew out, "We are having a girl so we are naming the baby Lorelai."

He smiled at her surprised face. "Really?"

"Yeah, Ace," he smirked, "What else?"

"I don't know," she shrugged, feeling the tiniest bit silly for making a bigger deal out of this than it was. "Maybe you've been harboring a secret desire to name your child Esmeralda or Fiona?" she asked dramatically, "Who am I to stand in the way of that?"

He laughed at her suggestion. "Who am I to stand in the way of a perfectly good tradition?" he countered teasingly, "Though Esmeralda Huntzberger has a pretty nice ring to it," he laughed.

She smiled lovingly as he continued, "Ace, our baby girl should be named Lorelai. She may be a Huntzberger by name, but she's going to be a Gilmore Girl at heart," he nodded sincerely, "I can tell."

She paused for a moment, taking in his tender words. However, her expression soon changed as she realized this left them with a much bigger problem.

"Oh crap," she pounded her fist on the counter, "What about a nickname?"

He started to open his mouth, but quickly shut it as Rory continued, "And I don't want anything cliché like Lola!"

"Okay," Logan nodded and scurried off to the living room. He returned with his trusty laptop.

"You know," Rory said pointing at the computer, "you have an addiction."

"I do not," Logan replied taking mock-offence, "The Google School of Medicine diagnosed you just fine and I'm sure Google will cough up a good nickname."

Rory watched as Logan feverishly punched in a few keys.

"How 'bout Oriel?" he suggested after a few moments. "If I remember correctly from my limited Latin knowledge it means Golden…"

"Oriel," Rory repeated, trying it on for size, "Oriel, time for dinner!" She scrunched up her nose. "It sounds like Oreo…," she laughed, "Mom would die laughing."

"Okay," Logan nodded, "The Golden One is out!"

After a few more key strokes, he came up with "Ilea".

"Ilea?" Rory asked, "It is I….lea," she put on a deep voice, causing Rory and Logan both to laugh.

"Okay, so that's out," Logan sighed. "Well, at least we can always choose from Lori, Lola, Lo, Lore, Lea, or Elli… "

Rory's face fell. "This isn't working!" she exclaimed, "Are you sure you don't have some secret baby name wish?"

His lips curled into a small smile. "What about Charlotte?"

"Charlotte," she repeated slowly.

"Lorelai Charlotte Huntzberger," Logan said, "Has a nice ring to it, don't you think?"

"Yes," Rory nodded excitedly, "Lottie, for short."

"Lottie for short," Logan nodded in agreement.

The pair was silent as they let the name sink in.

"Wait," Rory suddenly said, breaking the silence, "Who is this Charlotte? Because if she's some former lover or the name of your pet gerbil you had a freaky adoration for, then we are going with plain old Lola" she rambled.

Logan should have been offended, but he laughed at Rory's outrageous pregnancy induced outbursts.

'No, no former lovers or pet names," Logan assured her, 'Charlotte was Elias second wife. She died when I was in high school, but she was a great woman. Reminded me of your Mom a little bit… "He trailed off, smiling at the memory.

"Well then," Rory sighed satisfied, "That's the perfect name."

The baby responded with a strong kick letting her soon-to-be parents know they were on the right track.

* * *

_What did you think? Let me know? Review, review, review!!! _


	38. Chapter 38

**Thanks for all the reviews for the last chapter! I can't say enough how much I love you for it!! This is the promised Huntzberger Baby Shower, which is more like a 'status thing' for Emily instead of an actual Baby Shower. Chris, Lorelai, Luke, Josh, Honor, Finn, Colin and Stephanie were all invited. **

**As promised, the final chapters would be nice and sweet! Let me know what you think of this latest installment! Enjoy! **

**PS: I don't own GG**

* * *

"What am I in here for again?" Logan called out from the couple's walk in closet. "Shoes?"

"Close," Rory replied with a chuckle from the bed, "My dress. The blue one," she added as an afterthought.

It was the day of the Hartford Baby Shower and, as per usual, the young Huntzberger couple was running late. Rory had woken up that morning with feet the size of watermelons and this, combined with her practically full-term tummy proved too much for her to handle. A quick shower and a fresh suit was all Logan needed; however, getting Rory ready was going to take twice as long, seeing as Logan really had no idea how much work went into the female primping process.

Logan returned from the closet with a garment bag in hand, "There are about eighty blue dresses in that closet, Ace," he said jokingly, "But I assure you, this is the blue dress of your dreams!"

Rory scrunched up her nose in aggravation. "Eighty dresses! You bought half of them for me!" she muttered crankily as she continued typing away on her laptop, effectively ignoring her husband.

He was used to it after close to nine months of crazy pregnancy hormones. He waited as she stayed like that for a few moments, before the harshness of her previous comment hit her.

"I'm sorry," Rory apologized; shooting him a quick smile, "it's just…" she pointed at her swollen feet, "these damn watermelon feet!"

"I know," Logan sighed sympathetically, as he put the dress down on the bed, before sitting down himself and rubbing her left foot, before switching to the right.

As if on cue, Rory felt a lump in her throat and could not stop the tears from falling in rapid succession. "I just don't want to be pregnant anymore, Logan," she wailed, as he quickly crawled over the bed to sit next to her.

"I know, Ace," he said pulling her into a comforting hug. "It's been a long run," he said soothingly, "but it's only a few more weeks, right?"

He felt her nod on his chest. "And after the Hartford Party, we'll head back home and just chill out here until Lottie arrives, okay?" She nodded once more and Logan held her for a few moments until the tears stopped falling.

"You can do that?" she asked hesitantly, as she pulled away from his embrace.

"I sure can," Logan nodded happily, "Thanks to my new contract."

A bright smile washed over Rory's face at the mention of the new contract. She knew Logan and Mitchum met for dinner the same day Rory renegotiated his contract. She had expected Logan to return with a great story about how the two men talked and argued until they had worked out all of their differences and spend the night bonding over cigars and aged whiskey; however, real life proved to be much less animated as Logan told Rory that the men had just met for a steak dinner with the company attorney, legalized the contract and continued with business as usual. Granted, it was not what Rory had wanted, but Logan was back at HPG, Mitchum was enforcing the contract and everything seemed to be going well, except for her and her watermelon feet…

"I knew I liked that contract for a reason," Rory said with a smile. Logan pressed a soft kiss on Rory's lips.

"Okay," she said with a sigh. "Freak-out's over. Grandma will kill us if we are more than an hour late!"

Logan smiled at her, stealing a glance at the clock. They were going to be closer to two hours late. "I doubt that, Ace," he teased, "You are carrying her great-grandchild after-all."

Rory smiled at the thought, but she decided it was best not to risk it and scooted away from Logan. "I'd rather not test that theory…"

Logan nodded in agreement as he got off the up and started unzipping her party dress from the bag.

"Let me just save this," she said gesturing to her laptop, "And we'll see if the dress still fits!"

"It'll fit, Ace," Logan said reassuringly and waited for her to close the laptop.

"What are you working on anyway?" he asked, helping her off the bed.

"Oh," she waved his question away, as she stepped into the dress, "Nothing important…"

"I see," Logan replied, not all that convinced she was being honest with him. However, he did not have the time, or energy to figure out if Rory's new computer obsession was something vaguely work related, or if she just liked watching old episodes of Arrested Development on-line.

"Hey babe," Rory said lovingly, "Thank-you for being so patient with me."

He placed a gentle kiss on top of her head in reply and turned so he was facing her.

"Hair and make-up, perfect," he said in his best Queer-Eye voice.

"Thank-God for waterproof mascara," Rory interjected.

"Stunning dress…" he continued, "It seems that we are just missing footwear."

Logan and Rory both stared down at her oversized feet.

"Britney walks around barefoot," Rory shrugged, knowing that she wouldn't be able to fit into any of her heels, flats, sneakers or slippers.

"Works for me," Logan smirked at her, "But for Emily's sake, we'll bring some flip flops…."

* * *

Luckily, the drive to Hartford was easygoing and the couple arrived only an hour and a half late, which was nothing short of a miracle considering the trying times they had endured that morning.

The maid led them to the back garden where Emily was waiting for them tapping her Chanel-heeled foot impatiently.

"Emily," Logan said in his signature smooth tone, hoping it would alleviate some of Emily's pent up anger. "I'm so sorry we are running late," he pressed a kiss on her cheek, "but the baby was giving us a little trouble this morning."

Emily rested her eyes on Logan for a moment and it was clear that even the Gilmore grandma wasn't immune to the Huntzberger charm. "At least you are here now," she smiled as she gave Rory a quick hug.

"Honestly Rory," she said, examining her dress as she pulled back from their short embrace, "Isn't that color a little too notice me for a baby shower?"

"Ah Mom," Lorelai said from behind Emily, "I think that big bump on her tiny frame says that," she chuckled at her own joke and said her hellos to daughter and son-in-law.

The foursome started to make their way to the designated party area, but they barely made it two steps.

"Oh my," Emily shrieked in horror, "What happened to your feet?"

"Uh, Oprah approved, Mom!" Lorelai said sarcastically as she pointed at her white heeled sandals, that matched her floral white strapless summer dress perfectly.

"Not you," Emily said sharply, rolling her eyes at her daughter, "Rory! She isn't wearing any shoes!"

"We tried, Emily," Logan said, shooting a look that equaled the male version of doe eyes.

"I'm sorry, Grandma," Rory said, trying to peer over her stomach to get a better look at her feet, "But Logan brought some flip flops…"

"Flip-flops," Emily repeated in a horrified tone, "This is not a pool party, Rory."

"I know, Grandma," she shot her grandmother an irritated smile, "but they have sunflowers on them, they are perfectly festive and I'm sure it will be better than bare feet."

She shot Emily a pointed look, earning her an impressed nod from Lorelai.

"Fine," Emily relented with a sigh.

"Oh Mom," Lorelai said cheerily as they continued to the garden, "It's not that bad. Remember when my feet were swollen? They were swollen for months and then three weeks before I gave birth to this one," she jerked her head at Rory, "they grew three times the size of normal feet. I was so grossed out; I couldn't even look at them. And then, right after you were born they shrunk – it was like one of those cheap toys you put in water and it grows, but then the other way around…."

Logan and Rory shared an amused look; though Emily was not pleased. "Lorelai, please, if you can't keep to proper cocktail conversation; just stick to the hors d'oeuvres and refrain from conversation with…."

"Who, Mom?" Lorelai interjected, before Emily could ramble off a whole list.

"Well, everyone, I suppose. Talk to Christopher or your husband," Emily said, distractedly.

"Or us," Rory mouthed to her Mom.

Emily was in rare form today, but this was marked at _the_ Society Event of the Year and it was crucial everything went over well. Lorelai had taken it upon herself to make Emily's job just a little bit more difficult.

"Oh, there you all are," Shira said, approaching the group with open arms, "The ladies and I were getting worried!"

It was apparent that Shira had consumed her fair share of celebratory champagne. Lorelai and Logan shared a smirk; they weren't the only ones endangering Emily's reputation today.

"Rory, darling," she exclaimed, "You look ravishing and those sunflower flip-flops are just scrumptious. Who made them?"

"Uh, China," Rory shrugged with a smile. Intoxicated Shira was certainly the best value entertainment around.

"China!" Shira said with a laugh, "I've never heard of him before. You must bring me to his boutique sometime!"

Rory, Logan and Lorelai stifled a laugh as a maid swiftly led Shira inside, away from the unsuspecting guests.

"Bye, Mom," Logan called out behind her.

"Don't bother," Emily scolded, "You know how she gets!"

Logan knew all too well that his mother and Society get-togethers did not mesh well. It was common, yet unspoken, Society knowledge that Shira Huntzberger was a lush and a sloppy one at that.

"Anyway," Emily sighed deeply, "Logan, the men are congregating in the pool house, unless you would like to drink tea with the ladies," she asked him, raising her thinning eyebrow.

Logan looked to Rory questioningly. He was not looking forward to spending the afternoon sitting in uncomfortable wicker chairs, sipping tea from Emily's expensive china but if Rory wanted him there, he would stay and forgo an afternoon of whiskey and golf talk.

"Have fun," she told him, trying to stand on her tippy-toes to kiss him, but with no avail. He leaned in instead and pressed a kiss on her cheek.

"You too."

* * *

Rory sighed as she stirred her tea. Emily had really outdone herself; everything was decorated in the palest shade of yellow, occasionally decorated with a small daisy. The kitchen staff sent waiters out every fifteen minutes with a new tray of hors d'oeuvres, ranging from the nasty salmon puffs to her cherished baby apple-pies.

But it wasn't vibrant like her mother's baby shower. Emily had invited all of her friends and spent most of her time socializing with the DAR-ladies and Logan was off in the pool house gallivanting with the men. At least she had Honor, Stephanie and her mom to keep her company. They were sitting in a secluded part of the patio, gossiping and mocking the party and catching up on their lives in general.

"So, Miss Stephanie," Lorelai said pointing her wine glass at her, "What's up with you?"

"What do you mean, Lore?" she answered, picking at her pancetta and rocket pinwheel.

"Rory's knocked up, Honor's knocked up…." Lorelai shrugged, "I see a trend."

"Mom," Rory laughed, slightly embarrassed by her mother's forwardness.

"The trend stops there," Stephanie said with a laugh, "I like this too much." She took a sip of her fruity cocktail to prove her point, "and this," she said, gesturing at her body. "No offence!" she added quickly, realizing that her comments mind come off a bit cruel in such a setting.

"None taken," Honor quipped happily, resting her hands on her barely expanded abdomen.

"Yeah," Rory laughed, "At least I can wear flip-flops!"

"Ah yes," Stephanie laughed, dropping her head admire Rory's footwear, "I see China had a vision when he designed your _scrumptious _little flipper-floppers," she chuckled, mocking Shira.

The girls shared a look, before bursting out in laughter.

"I'm pleased to hear you all having a good time," Emily's shrill voice reached over the crowd bringing the chattering women to a halt, "but before we go on and start the gift portion of this gathering, I'd like to propose a toast!"

A polite applaud flitted through the audience as Emily continued.

"Unfortunately, a migraine is plaguing Shira at this moment, but she sends her regards…"

Several women exchanged knowing looks, 'migraine' was code of hung over, but Emily did not dwell on this for too long.

"She and I were over the moon when my granddaughter and her son began seeing each other at Yale," A proud smile appeared on her face. Everyone knew that Emily was name-dropping because it was in her nature, however, in this instance it was derived from genuine pride. "And although the Gilmore and Huntzberger family regret not being able to attend their wedding in December, as it was a spontaneous event, we were absolutely thrilled to hear they decided to seal their union with a baby so quickly…"

Again, Rory detected some suspicious looks from the gathering, though she had to applaud her grandmother for saying 'they got pregnant and needed to get married,' in such a roundabout way.

"So, please, ladies," Emily said, her voice trembling ever so slightly, "Please raise your glass with me today as we celebrate the union of the young Huntzberger couple and the coming birth of my first great-grandchild."

Rory could not help but be touched by her Grandmothers' kind and a little twisted words. At the end of the day, Emily really did have her heart in the right place and she was just as excited about this baby as everyone else.

As the clapping died down, Emily's maid wheeled an old fashioned pram full of baby gifts to Rory. Rory smiled at her Grandma, grateful that this saved her a trip from walking with her hideous enlarged feet. Just as she started to open her first present she felt a distinct popping sensation in her abdomen and immediately returned the present to the stroller.

"Are you alright, dear?" Emily asked, as Lorelai gave her daughter a worried look.

"What happened?" Lorelai quickly leaned in and whispered to her daughter.

"Uh," Rory looked away embarrassed, "There is some leakage…" she swallowed, shooting her mother a look that meant that this was a 'no-mocking' situation.

"Rory," Emily repeated again.

"Uh," Rory exhaled jerking her head to and meeting her Grandma, "I'm fine. I just… have to use to ladies room," she smiled a big smile as she managed to get up from her wicker chair. She reached for her tote, as she had started carrying an emergency kit with her for her last trimester. She just couldn't believe she actually peed herself at her grandmother's shindig. She was pregnant, so it wasn't really her fault. She could blame Lottie, but seriously, where was her dignity?

And then she realized that popping did not necessarily mean peeing, something Logan had read to her from the last chapter of that damn baby book he kept like a bible. She changed course and proceeded to waddle in the direction of the pool house, leaving a confused Lorelai, Honor, Stephanie and Emily behind.

Her initial embarrassment made room for aggravation as she waddled her way to the pool house.

"Send the men to the pool house, Rory," she mimicked Shira's tone, "Men don't belong at a baby shower, Rory...oh, but it's improper not to invite the men," she continued, using her grandma's tone. "Oh, yes, Grandma, the pool house is perfect for the men," she nodded, using her own suck-up society voice.

God, she hated agreeing to that. And she hated her luck. Only one in every fifteen women has her water break before actual contractions and labor. It was one of the few things she hadn't been concerned about during her pregnancy, given that the statistics were on her side.

"What is she doing, mate?" Finn asked Logan, who was taking a bite of one of the 'man snacks' Shira and Emily provided for this joyous occasion.

"Who?" Logan asked, having his back turned to the main house.

"Rory," Finn said, pointing at the large grass field that separated both properties. Rory had stopped waddling to kick-off her flip flops and Finn had just tuned in to see the action.

Logan quickly whipped his head around and saw her struggle and Finn, Colin, Josh, Chris, Luke, Richard and Mitchum followed suit.

"Ace," he called out approaching her, "What's wrong?"

"We have to go," she said as he, and his following, met her.

"What's wrong?" he asked concernedly.

"Statistics," she replied unhappily, causing Logan to shoot her an incredulous look.

"Kiddo," Chris laughed, "You got to give us a little more to work with…" He smiled at her, hoping that would be of some help.

"Did something happen between you ladies at the main house?" Mitchum asked, showing surprising concern, "It couldn't possibly be Shira…"

"No, no, it's not that," Rory said, shaking her head and blushing as she felt quite self-conscious for causing such a scene.

"Uh, mates," Finn said with a gulp, "It appears that she's leaking, uh…" It was obvious the Australian was uncomfortable with the sight of Mother Nature. "Now, I'm no medical professional but, to me, that does not seem normal!"

"Oh jeez," Luke rubbed his hand over his forehead, "Her water broke…"

Logan stood there in shock, as the other men shot Luke a confused look. He shrugged before focusing his attention on Rory.

"Rory," he said, looking her in the eyes, "Did your water break?"

She nervously blinked at him, before nodding slowly. "It wasn't supposed to happen," she replied.

"Okay, good," Luke said, breathing a sigh of relief at her innocent-sounding reply. "It's not your fault," he told her as he folded his hands together and formulated a game plan.

"Chris, go get Lorelai," he started off his orders, "Tell her it's time."

"Okay," he nodded and waved at the group of women who were watching the scene unfold from the comfort of their patio chairs, before dragging Josh and a pale looking Finn with him.

"We've got to call the hospital and the ambulance," he said looking at Mitchum and Richard.

"We've got drivers," Mitchum interjected, "It'd be the fastest way to the hospital."

"Yes, I'll call Fred," Richard nodded calmly. "Or Frank," Mitchum suggested, "Or both.."

"Or by the time you two decide who to call, she could be having the baby here on the lawn," Luke let out a frustrated sigh, "its 5:30 pm, there is traffic, and we'll have to park the damn car…"

"Yes, but…" the men protested, but Luke cut them off.

"Just call the ambulance! Go! Call!" he snapped at them and immediately the two men whipped out their cell phones and started dialing.

"Colin," Luke commanded, "I'm sure Logan has some emergency bag packed in their car. Get this; they are going to need it for the hospital."

He stopped to look at Logan. "You do have it, right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Logan nodded slowly, jiggling his keys from his pant pocket. "It's the blue suitcase in the trunk," he said, handing over the keys.

"Good, good," Luke sighed, as he replayed his mental check-list. "Any other symptoms?" he asked Rory.

"No," she shook her head and he smiled, 'You are going to be alright.'

She shot him a half-smile.

"I'm going to pry your Mom away from the crowd and by that time the ambulance should be here," he squeezed her shoulder reassuringly, "and we'll be in the hospital in no time, okay? I'm going to call your doctor in New York, too, so don't worry."

She nodded as she and Logan watched stunned as everyone around them worked frantically to arrange everything.

Rory breathed a sigh of relief as Logan's hand found his way into hers. Oddly, she was very Zen.

"I thought I peed myself," Rory deadpanned, shooting him a small smile.

Logan smirked at her. This is why he loved her. "Page 675 from the book," Logan nodded calmly, matching her Zen-like attitude, "Classic symptom…" He squeezed her hand comfortingly. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," Rory said, as she slowly took a squishy step in the direction of the main house, "I didn't know what to expect…I mean, we read and read, but…."

Logan nodded understandingly, though he couldn't really relate. Her calmness surprised him. He had thought that she would be in hysterics when her water broke, giving her emotional display at the apartment this morning but she was perfectly calm and organized, like the Rory he knew. Maybe some internal primal instinct took over.

He swung her arm around her shoulder, letting her rest on him as they slowly walked back to the house. "Is this alright like this?" he asked, not wanted to put Rory into any more discomfort than she already was.

He knew from reading up on the subject and watching 'Baby Week' on Discovery, Rory watched in preparation of the birth, that discomfort was an understatement. Her water breaking was going to be like a walk in the park compared to giving birth.

He felt her nod against his chest. "I can't believe it," she gushed happily, "I can't wait to not be pregnant anymore!"

He smiled at her and realized that this was really happening. Rory squeezed his hand in sudden pain. Yes, this was really happening.

* * *

_So? I know you've all been waiting for this since, like, chapter 5. Did it live up to your expectations? And, this is seriously the third to last chapter. Chapter 39 will be the birth and 40 will tie up loose ends and be the stepping stone for NYN part II (assuming you are all interested in that!) Let me know, and if you have any thing you want incorporated in the last two chapters (or in the sequel) let me know; this story is yours as much as its mine!!! Drope me a line and review:) Thanks! _


	39. Chapter 39

**It's crazy. It's over the top. It's what I'd expect from a Gilmore Girls Birth. Hope you feel the same. Review and enjoy! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own GG **

* * *

"That was some way to get out of that baby shower!" Lorelai whispered in her daughter's ear as the waited in the front lobby of the hospital. Since Rory's situation wasn't acute yet Logan, Luke and Christopher were busy filling out forms and negotiating rooms at the front desk. Emily, Richard and Mitchum were following by car and Shira was left behind to sober up.

"You've taught me well!" Rory said, looking up at her mother.

The baby shower was supposed to be the biggest Society Event that year and it had rightfully won that title, though for entirely different reasons than Emily had wanted. If a tipsy Shira and Rory's flip-flops alone could keep tongues wagging at the Club for months, there was no telling exactly how much mileage the ladies could get from the water-breaking, the men rushing to Rory's side, Emily practically passing out from excitement and the ambulance pulling up and putting an end to the circus.

The girls continued to banter as if it were an ordinary day. Only when Luke called them over and the nurse lead them to the room did Lorelai realize that her daughter's newfound Zen was a little out of character. Rory hadn't freaked-out when her water broke, she waited patiently for her hospital administration to be made in order, she joked as Christopher and Luke decided that they'd wait outside her hospital room and she didn't flinch when Logan handed her the unflattering hospital gown.

"Are you sure your fine, hon?" Lorelai asked with a raised eyebrow as she stood at the end of Rory's hospital bed.

"Yes," she replied with a confirmatory nod and turned to Logan. "Can you get me my notebook from my bag?"

Lorelai watched as an equally calm Logan retrieved Rory's bag. "You are sure you're sure?" Lorelai asked again, curiousness lacing her tone.

Rory looked up from her scribbling to shoot her mother a wide smile. "Yes!"

Lorelai squeezed Rory's right foot slightly, before making her way around the bed and sitting on the edge. "It's okay to be nervous about this, babe;" she chuckled softly, "God knows I was."

"I know," Rory nodded, "But those were different circumstances…"

"I suppose," Lorelai interjected, "Nothing calms you down more than a fancy pants room."

Rory detected more than a hint of sarcasm in her mother's tone. Bearing the Huntzberger name was a pain, but it came with perks, such as a spacious private hospital room and adjacent waiting room for the family. She shot her mother an apologetic smile, before reassuring her.

"I'm fine…Logan's here and he's fine and Lottie is going to be fine once she's not squished up like a paper ball inside of me! We just have to wait and then I'll be fine and Lottie will be fine!" She patted her swollen abdomen for emphasis.

"So, you're really just finer than fine?" Lorelai couldn't help sound a little unconvinced as she mocked Rory's persistent use of the word 'fine'.

"I know you're anxious, Lore," Logan said, peeking over the evening edition of the paper he was reading, "But we really are okay. It's a freak-out free zone. We've prepared."

She raised her gaze from Rory's still-pregnant belly to meet his eyes. "You've prepared?" she asked skeptically.

"Yes." Logan and Rory both let out an exasperated sigh.

Lorelai realized that it was possible that she was overreacting a bit. "Okay…" she let out a nervous laugh, "Maybe it's just me. I mean, how often does my only daughter give birth, right? My baby's having a baby and I…I just needed to make sure she's okay with that, I'm still your Mom, no matter how many babies you pop out!" she stopped her rambling as she caught the amused looks Logan and Rory were giving her.

"Thanks, Lore," Logan smiled warmly as Rory gave her mother an appreciative smile and Lorelai smiled back. The moment was disturbed by a faint yelling.

"What's that?" Rory asked directing her question at Logan.

He shook his head and squeezed her hand gently, "I don't know."

"I'll go check," Lorelai said hurrying out of the room because she knew exactly who was responsible for the yelling.

* * *

Lorelai made her way down the long pink-and-blue themed maternity ward hallway. The shrill yelling increased in volume and frequency as she approached the floor lobby.

"Mom," Lorelai said through clenched teeth.

"Oh, Lorelai! Thank-God you are here," Emily said, turning on her heel to face Lorelai, "This hospital is staffed by completely ignorant and incompetent people!"

The nurse behind the desk glanced at Lorelai, who, in turn granted the nurse an apologetic smile.

"You know, we've been here for fifteen minutes trying to find out where Rory is! And Missy here won't tell us where she is!"

"That information is confidential ma'am. Only immediate family…"

"Immediate family! I'm the girl's grandmother; I paid for her private school lessons – for college! I paid for her braces!"

"Rory didn't have braces, Mom."

Emily whipped her head around, shooting Lorelai a death glare, "I would have if she had them. Crooked teeth in this day and age are a crime!"

The nurse rolled her eyes, "That is very kind of you ma'am, but this doesn't make you immediate family…."

"I don't care!" Emily raised her arms in frustration, "Luke is in there and he owns a dinner for heaven's sake. You'll let a diner owner in, but not the girl's own grandmother?"

"Mom," Lorelai said sternly, "Luke arrived with us. And he's Rory's step-father."

"Ma'am, you are allowed to visit your granddaughter…" the nurse tried to explain, but Emily cut her off once again. "I would certainly hope so!"

"Mom!"

"But we need to verify that you are indeed a part of the family," she shot Lorelai a sympathetic look, which Lorelai met with a blasé smile.

"I told you," Emily exasperated, "I tried calling her, but her cell-phone was switched off!"

"That's hospital policy, ma'am."

"Sorry, Mom" Lorelai smiled smugly, knowing her mom couldn't get mad _at her_ for that one.

"Honestly Lorelai," Emily glared at her daughter, "The end justifies the means!"

"What about Mitchum and Dad?" Lorelai asked.

"Your father is parking the car," Emily said with an eye-roll, "And Mitchum is calling the lawyers."

"About this?" Lorelai asked with wide eyes.

"No," Emily said, as if that were a crazy assumption to make, "He's making sure the trusts are set up for the grandchild."

"Oh." Lorelai bobbed her head in contemplation.

"Close your mouth, Lorelai," Emily said, picking up her purse, "You are not a fish."

Lorelai noticed her father and Mitchum stepping off the elevator. "I'm not a fish, Dad," she greeted her father happily.

"Excellent," Richard replied in a distracted tone and approached the nurse's desk. "My granddaughter…"

"Oh don't bother, Richard," Emily interrupted, "You have to be immediate family to be allowed in and paying for college and braces doesn't do a damn. Incompetent…."

"Well, this is an outrage!" Richard bellowed at the nurse, "My granddaughter is in this hospital giving birth right at this moment and I demand…."

"I'm a Huntzberger!" Mitchum interjected, "She's my daughter-in-law!"

Lorelai noticed the complete horror on the nurses face, so she jumped to the rescue. "Hey!" she raised her voice, "I'm the immediate family. It's cool. We're good," she ran a hand through her hair. "Sign your name on the sheet, and walk through the magical doors," she laughed as she pointed at the sliding doors leading to the pink-and-blue hallway.

"Are you sure about that?" the nurse asked Lorelai, but the question went unheard as Logan came bursting through the doors. He was clearly distraught.

"She needs you, Lore," he managed, running a hand through his hair, "She… I …. it's…I…she… "

"What?" Lorelai whipped her head around and planted her hand firmly on Logan's shoulders forcing him to focus.

"Okay, how far apart are her contractions?" she asked determinedly, but the best Logan could do was give a blank stare.

"Well?" Emily demanded, worry lacing her tone. She didn't wait for his reply and turned to face the nurse. "Send a doctor to my granddaughter's room!"

"Well, ma'am…." the nurse started to brush Emily off, but she and Lorelai cut her off immediately.

"Do it _now_!" they both roared as they dragged a distraught looking Logan back to Rory's hospital room, with a forlorn looking Mitchum and Richard trailing behind them.

* * *

"Go, go, go!" Lorelai commanded as she rushed into the room. An awkward looking Christopher was holding Rory's left hand, and an equally awkward looking Luke was holding her right hand.

The men immediately let go, mumbled some apologies, wished Rory the best and quickly left the room. The prospect of birth was so out of their comfort zone it was obvious they had no place there.

"Ah, honey," she sighed sympathetically as she saw the state Rory was in. She had kicked the covers away and her perfect hair had fallen out of its bun and now hung messily around her sweaty face. Her make-up was smudged and her pale skin was covered in red blotches.

"What kind of hospital is this?" Emily question out loud, causing Lorelai to whip her head around and shoot her mother a death glare. She calmly, yet firmly, instructed her mother to watch the collective of men gathered out the room and surprisingly Emily obliged.

Lorelai let out a deep sigh, before focusing her attention on her not-so-Zen daughter and strained son-in-law.

"What happened, hon? I thought this was a freak-out free zone!"

Rory couldn't answer and her face contorted in obvious pain. She clenched her sheets tightly and called out for Logan, who came rushing to her side, gently brushing stray hairs from her face as they both waited for the moment to pass.

"Contractions?" Lorelai asked her voice laced with sympathy, as the feeling came rushing back to her.

After a few moments Rory's features softened and she let go of the death grip she had on Logan's hand.

"Yes," Rory wailed, before the actual tears came. "This isn't happening! The baby wasn't supposed to come for another two weeks. It's early. Mom! Gilmore Girls are never early! We are late. It's in the Rule Book. Logan knows. I know, you know! How can it not know?"

"It's a baby, kid," Lorelai sighed, "It can take a while for her to catch on."

"Not my baby!" Rory said resolutely.

"I see," Lorelai said, slightly mocking her daughter. Logic really did not have the same effect on women in labor.

"I'm going home," Rory declared suddenly, struggling to sit upright in bed. "I'm just going to get my bag, go home and just spend the rest of the two weeks at home…" She looked down at her stomach, "You hear that? Two weeks!"

"Ace," Logan said soothingly, "You can't go home."

"I have my rights, Logan," Rory said flatly. "They can't hold me here against my will."

"Uh," Lorelai interjected, gently coaxing Rory back to bed, "They can if you have a baby in you that needs to come out!"

Logan squeezed her shoulder for support while Lorelai talked to her daughter. "Rory, what's wrong?"

In a matter of seconds, Rory's determined look changed and she became a puddle of mush. "I can't do this," she said sobbing. "I really, really can't do this!"

"Of course you can do this. You've prepared!" Lorelai said encouragingly.

This resulted in another loud sob. "Not enough!" Rory managed to say.

"Hey, Ace, that's not true," Logan said, trying to console his wife. "We spent hours!"

"See?" Lorelai tried her best to sound upbeat. "Come on; just tell Mommy what you did…"

Rory took a few deep breaths to calm down before she started in a shaky tone. "We watched Baby Week on Discovery…."

"And?" Lorelai prodded gently.

"The Learning Channel," Rory added thoughtfully.

"And?" Lorelai asked again, sincerely hoping that her daughter had expanded her preparation activities beyond the TV.

"We read the book," Rory continued after some thought, "What to Expect…."

"Oh, that's a classic," Lorelai nodded approvingly. "And what about breathing exercises?"

Rory looked up at her mom with worry written all over her face. "Exercises? We don't exercise!"

Lorelai drew in a big gulp of air before releasing it in tiny puffs hoping to see a spark of recognition on Rory's face, but her face remained scrunched up in confusion.

"We did those, Ace!" Logan squeezed Rory's hand comfortingly. "Hundreds of times!"

She turned her head to meet his gaze, "Really?" she asked, true surprise evident in her tone.

Logan gave her a soft smile before nodding, "Yeah, Ace."

Rory sank back down to her pillows. "Oh, Mom," she cried. "I don't even remember the exercises! I… I can't…."

Logan and Lorelai watched on in discomfort as Rory's face twisted in agony once again. "Make it stop, make it stop!'

An extremely tall doctor entered the room. "Stop right now, thank-you very much; I need somebody with a human touch…. I believe those were the lyrics you were looking for, no?"

Logan and Lorelai couldn't help but grin.

"You're her doctor?" Logan asked, giving the presumed doctor a critical look. He might have made a winning first impression, this was about the birth of his first child and his wife's health and no way in hell would he let some kook touch either of them.

"I'm Dr. Hilton and by no way related to the hotel heiress or gossip blogger, no worries!" he said with a chuckle. "And you must be the nervous husband?" he asked, extending his hand for Logan to shake, which he took gratefully.

"It's that obvious?"

"Only to the trained eye," he assured him before greeting Lorelai. "And you are…."

"Going to be a Grandma," Lorelai replied with a proud smile.

"Or not," Rory sighed, slightly raising her head from the pillow.

Dr. Hilton shot her a reassuring smile as he glanced at her chart. "Well just do a quick, little examination to see where we stand…" he snapped on his gloved and after a few moments complete with another fist-clenching round of contractions the doctor concluded that Rory was dilated about 4-5 centimeters.

"That's it?" she cried outraged, squeezing Logan's hand in rage. "Five centimeters?!"

Logan and Lorelai exchanged a look. It never ceased to amaze them how quickly Rory's mood could change.

"Well," the doctor sighed deeply, "Considering this is your first pregnancy you are doing a marvelous job. Some women take six or seven hours to reach this stage…"

"I don't care about other women," Rory snapped back at him.

"Good attitude," the doctor nodded back approvingly. "Look, why don't you take a walk around the halls and I'll come back in an hour or so?"

Rory simply shot him a death glare and refused to acknowledge the doctor. Five centimeters! She was simply too angry to talk.

* * *

It was 3:30 in the morning. They had been at the hospital for a good ten hours; waiting for the final stages of labor to finally kick-in. Rory paced the halls of her floor, with Logan continuously by her side. Luke provided everyone with coffee and edible food, Emily harassed the hospital staff and Christopher, Mitchum and Richard talked about business, politics and sport. Anything really, to keep their thoughts from whatever was going on behind the closed doors of the maternity ward.

"I'm tired," Rory said after another hallway walk.

"Then we'll go back," Logan said affectionately, taking her by the hand and leading her back to their room.

"Maybe the baby will never come out," Rory said, her tone laced with frustration as she rested on the edge of her bed.

"Want some ice chips?" Lorelai asked from the chair she was sitting on in the corner.

"No, why?"

"Well, you haven't perfected your pelting skills, and believe me, when the baby comes out - which it will- you'll want to pelt ice-chips at nurses and doctors."

Rory smiled at her mother, before puffing her way through another contraction.

"Are you okay?" Logan asked and blotted her forehead with a damp cloth and brushed some stray hairs away from her face.

"Maybe some ice-chips…" Rory suggested as she tried to get comfortable. Logan ran off to the nurses' station as Rory's face contorted in another contraction.

"Come on, Rory," Lorelai coached, "You can do this. Breathe, breathe, breathe…" she puffed along with her daughter and squeezed her hand. "You are doing great, babe."

"The baby's never going to come," Rory said convincingly. "I'll just stay here forever, with a big stomach and fat ankles, swearing like a sailor."

"Because you like the feeling of doing splits on a crate of dynamite?" Lorelai grinned, but Rory was in too much pain to catch the story they shared.

"Oh my god," Rory suddenly cried out in agony.

"What?" Lorelai jumped up in anticipation, "Is it time?"

"Yes!" Rory screamed in pain.

"Luke, get the doctor!"

"Okay, honey," Lorelai said firmly, "You can do this. You are going to get through this. It's coming out; you won't be the freak that stayed pregnant forever!"

"It can't come out, it can't come out, it can't come out!" Rory substituted for her regular breathing techniques.

"Why not…why not…why not?" Lorelai followed suit.

"Because…because," she let out a moan in pain, "Logan isn't…he isn't …here."

"He'll….be…..here," Lorelai said through controlled breaths.

Logan and the doctor came rushing in to the room at the same time and both started to get right to work. Lorelai held Rory's right hand and spoke encouraging words as Logan clenched her left and gave minute-by-minute reports of what was happening down there.

"Oh my god," Logan exclaimed, "I can see her head! Oh Ace," he swallowed, "She's perfect."

"Just one more push," the doctor ordered. With that, Rory buckled down and gave it her all. It was 4:03 in the morning and in a blur, Logan cut the cord and the doctor held the baby girl up to the new mother. Immediately, little Lottie started crying letting the world know that the newest Gilmore Girl had arrived.

* * *

"She's perfect," Logan said lovingly as he lay next to Rory on her bed. "You are perfect. I'm so proud of you, Ace."

Rory shot him a tender smile. "We did this," Rory said, placing a soft kiss on top of her baby's head. "I love you."

It was late that following afternoon when soft knock disrupted them from their domestic bliss. The couple had been completely smitten with their bundle of joy; they hadn't noticed Lorelai slip out of the room last night or any other events.

But, after the nurses placed Lorelai Charlotte Huntzberger in Rory's arms, Lorelai had slipped away to inform the family. Exhausted and elated the family left to let the new family enjoy some time together and rest.

"It's me, hon," Lorelai called, and let herself in. "It's like a party in here," she noted the highly decorated room.

Logan and Rory shared a look around the room which was indeed filled with balloons, flowers and stuffed animals sent by their friend. The giant pink bunny Finn had delivered was really the crowning jewel of the gifts.

"How is she doing?" Lorelai whispered.

"Perfect," Logan said, with the same goofy grin plastered on his face.

"Do you want to hold her?"

Lorelai nodded eagerly and carefully held the new-born in her arms. "Hi sweet pea," she cooed, "I'm your Grandma. That's my name. For now at least, since I've decided that since you're my only grandchild you have naming rights. Call me what you like. You get bragging rights, too, since I'm your coolest grandma - your other grandma is still hung over…"

"Mom!" Rory said in a hush. She didn't want to have her little innocent baby girl hear about the trials and tribulations of the family just yet.

"Oh, yes, little ears," Lorelai smiled, "The tiniest, most perfect ears and the tiniest most perfect smile…just like your mommy had when she was born." She gave Rory a proud smile. "You take after your mom already, you know that right?" she asked the baby.

"Born at 4.03 in the morning after a long night of splits on a crate of dynamite….but that's her story to tell you," Lorelai trailed off.

"Don't worry though; I'll have stories to tell. Just look at your parents!" she sighed contently, "Yes, tiniest, this is the start of a beautiful friendship."

Lorelai blinked back a few tears. "This is unreal, kiddo," she chuckled, "I'm a Grandma."

"A great Grandma," Rory nodded conformingly. "As in excellent…" she clarified quickly, shooting her mother a soft smile.

"Speaking of Great-Grandma's…" Lorelai said, jerking her head towards the door.

"I know," Logan sighed, not yet wanting to have his perfect little family of three tainted quite yet.

Soon enough, a soft knock on the door followed and the group entered one by one, each one falling completely and totally in love with Lottie at first sight. Rory kept a watchful eye on the gathering, though neither could do anything about the complete and total look of happiness on each of their faces.

Mitchum and Richard were slightly awkward holding little Lottie, but it was endearing. Rory noticed the knowing look Luke shot Lorelai as he had his turn with the baby and when Chris held her daughter, Rory knew he'd make a much better Grandpa than he did a father. She knew she saw the same look in Logan's eyes as Mitchum held their daughter. Emily was thrilled that the little girl had Rory's big blue eyes and, though still bald, she was sure she'd have Logan's blond hair. She was also especially pleased that Shira was still nowhere to be found.

Emily handed the baby back to Rory. "She's absolutely gorgeous."

"Thank-you, Emily," Logan said, as Rory stifled a yawn, signifying that it was time for the guests to leave.

"That's what your mommy calls acting, little one," she whispered to Lottie as Logan closed their door.

"Your mom is very smart, Lot," Logan told his daughter, "Follow her lead and she'll take you places."

He snuggled up next to Rory again, who was holding the baby, and protectively placed his arm over her shoulder. Logan continued to tell Lottie all about her mother and Rory was caught up in her own thoughts. Two years ago she could not have imagined this at all, she had wanted a career more than Logan and a child, a beautiful daughter, was the last thing on her radar. She felt her eyelids grow heavy as her husband continued to talk to Lottie, and she couldn't wait until she could take them both home and start their lives together.

* * *

_It might feel like the end but it's not. It's the end of a crazy, hectic nine months, but there is one more chapter! Promise. Review if you are just as sad as I am :( (But I'm excited about the sequel, so :) _


	40. Chapter 40

**It's here. It's finally here: the last chapter of the first story I've ever written. I was going to wait and publish this on May 23, my one year anniversary as a fanfictionista, but I couldn't wait. I've had this written for the longest time…. I can't believe I've been working on this story for this long! It's seems like just yesterday I stumbled on this site. **

**The last chapter is a stepping stone for the sequel, but I won't reveal too much of the plot for that. I hope you like it as much as I did writing it. It ties up some loose ends and gives a peak into Rory and Logan's married life since I know some of you reviewers were interested in that. **

**I cannot thank you enough for your continued loyalty to this story throughout the year and your incredibly kind comments. I've enjoyed reading them and the passion some of you have shown in your comments has been inspiring and overwhelming (remember when you thought Logan cheated on Rory with Bobby? I thought my inbox was going to burst!) **

**I thank-you for all the funny, honest, constructive, and touching reviews! ****Hope this last chapter does not disappoint. Enjoy! **

**Love and laughter, **

**Gilmoregirl19 **

**Disclaimer: I do not own GG.**

_PS: As you might of guessed by the frequent updates recently I'm on a little break from school. The rest of May/beginning of June will be busy for me. I'll try to update at least one story once a week, but I can't promise anything! _

* * *

A bright smile crept over Rory's face and she let out a loud satisfied sigh. She looked away from her computer screen and met her baby's big chocolate colored eyes staring back at her. Rory's sudden excitement was completely wasted on little Lottie. She was simply relaxing comfortably in the baby rocker Rory positioned on the corner of the desk. Lottie spent most of her mornings like this, watching her mom drink pots of coffee, sighing and typing.

'Mommy is finally finished!" she squealed elatedly as she ran her hand through Lottie's soft, curly brown hair, before freeing her child of the colorful straps that secured her position in the rocker. She picked her up, hugged her tightly and breathed in that delicious baby scent.

"It's done!" She smiled as she walked out of her office, spinning Lottie around through the hallways of her grand New York penthouse.

Lottie gurgled happily, waving her chubby arms around excitedly. Rory let herself fall back on the couch in the living room, holding her baby securely against her chest. She beamed, caught up in her excitement, as she absentmindedly stroked the soft brown baby hairs on her daughters head.

She couldn't believe Lottie had just turned one. Time was moving fast, though everyone had made sure that little Lottie's first birthday was unforgettable. Lorelai organized a fabulous Stars Hallow blowout, complete with games, party hats and ice-cream cake. Rory and Logan were both relieved that there would not be a 'birth reenactment', much to Kirk's disappointment.

Shira tried to redeem herself for missing the birth by throwing a society party, but was upstaged when Emily took over the party planning duties. And of course, she and Logan celebrated their daughter's first birthday together. It was a quiet celebration with cup-cakes and a trip to the zoo, with Logan documenting every step with his trusty camcorder.

She always knew that Logan would be a great father. His doubts of following in his father's footsteps were unnecessary. Rory practically had to push him to return to HPG. It wasn't that he did not want to go, but he was concerned about leaving her home alone to care for the baby. The first few weeks he called every hour on the hour to simply check in and hear Lottie's gurgling over the phone - that's how dedicated he was.

He balanced his work schedule perfectly; he always made sure he was home for dinner and met with his girls for lunch once a week. Occasionally, he'd had an evening function to attend but Rory didn't mind. She loved being a mom, but being his plus-one gave her a chance to get dressed up and spend a night on the town. Lorelai jumped at every opportunity to baby-sit so it never really was a problem.

Rory pressed a gentle kiss on top of Lottie's head.

"You are perfect," she whispered as she glanced around her apartment peacefully. She never would have imagined her life like this two years ago, when she received the call from 'Old York', as she was sitting in the middle of traffic on that hot and sticky day in Missouri. Six months ago they moved out of Rory's small apartment to a grand penthouse on the Upper East Side. Logan had wanted to move. The new apartment was closer to the HPG offices and he hinted about needing extra rooms for the future.

Granted, she loved her new house, but that wasn't important to her. She found it important that she, Logan and Lottie had managed to become a tight little unit that filled the house with love and warmth making it their home. She found Logan irresistible as he hinted towards the future and she cherished the moments the three of them spent together. She also loved that he hadn't lost his touch when it came to dramatic over-the-top gestures.

Logan surprised her with her own room in their new apartment. All of her books were lined up against the wall, with a comfy looking lounge chair in the corner and he had given her a giant desk, complete with its own coffee machine, and a computer. And, for this, Rory loved him more than the day they wed. He knew how much she loved being the supportive wife and hands-on mother, but he also knew she needed something for herself.

* * *

"_Hey, Ace," he said casually, leaning in the doorway, cradling a six-month Lottie in his arms. She stopped her typing and looked over her shoulder, smiling as she saw how adorable Logan and Lottie looked together. "Ness and I are going to the park, do you want to come?" _

"_She's not that tiny anymore, babe," Rory said with a small smile as she remembered how Logan's nickname for their daughter came about. In the days after she was born, Logan couldn't get over the tininess of her physique and affectionately dubbed her Ness. _

_Logan simply shrugged and brushed Lottie's cheek softly. "So, what about the park?" he inquired. _

_Rory stole a glance at her computer, she happened to have hit a really good groove. "Why don't you two make it a date?" _

_He smirked at her, before focusing his gaze on the baby. "Mommy is very secretive, isn't she, Nessy? She won't tell us what's going on between her and the computer…" _

_Rory bit her lip subconsciously. Logan was right. She spent a lot of time on her computer, but she always answered vaguely as to what she was doing. It wasn't as if she did not want him to know, or that she was insecure about her writing abilities, it was just that this was something completely different. She wasn't even sure she liked it herself, but it was Mitchum who told her to keep going, based on the first draft and some scribbles she submitted to him on the USB-stick months ago, saying that her writing capabilities were much, much better than her journalistic capabilities. She knew she ought to take offence in his comment, but didn't, since journalism really wasn't her dream anymore. _

_Maybe it was time she told Logan. She had told Lottie, though she knew her secret was safe with her. She needed some feedback and though Lottie cooed and gurgled enthusiastically when Rory tested a paragraph or sentence on her, she wasn't much help when it came to critique her work. She needed someone with a writer's perspective._

"_I was kidding, Ace," Logan said lightly as he brushed his thumb over her cheek, dragging her from her thoughts and back to the real world. _

"_I know," she nodded, running a hand through her hair. "Uh, so… uh," she stammered. _

"_Yes?" Logan looked at her with a curious look. _

_She shot him a soft smile and inhaled deeply. She hadn't expected to be nervous, but then again she had kept this from him for quite a while and she was putting herself out there. She knew Logan would be honest and while she appreciated that, she didn't know if she wanted to deal with a possible blow to her ego. His questioning look met her slightly worried gaze and she took another deep breath. _

"_I'm writing a book," she blurted out, missing the smile that appeared on his face instantly, "Mitchum knows. I gave him some writing samples on a USB-stick when I negotiated your contract and then I stopped writing when Lottie was born but then you gave me this room and Mitchum really liked the story so I started writing again and Lottie really likes it but I don't know… no one else knows…" she paused as she cast her gaze to the ground, "Maybe it's just really stupid…." _

"_Hey," Logan said warmly, "It's not stupid, Ace." He held out his hand, waiting for her to take it. _

_She grabbed it and he pulled her closer, wrapping her in a hug. She looked up at him and met his understanding eyes, "I'm sorry I didn't tell you." _

_She felt him sigh. "I knew," he whispered in her hair. _

"_You knew?" she pulled back, confusion written all over her face. "Mitchum told you?" _

_He shook his head. "I know you, Ace," he responded with a smirk. "I guess I didn't know exactly what you were writing, but I suspected," he relented somewhat as he saw her eyes go wide. _

"_Why didn't you say anything?" she asked quietly. _

"_Because, I figured you'd tell me when you were ready," he answered simply. _

_She leaned in and brushed her lips over his. "You don't think it's stupid?" _

"_No!" he exclaimed in a surprised tone. "I think it's amazing. I'm so proud of you, Ace." _

_She leaned in again, encircling him and her daughter in a hug. Logan smiled as he kissed the top of his wife's head softly. The family of three stayed like this for a few moments before Lottie broke out in a sudden fit of giggles. _

"_Someone's happy," Rory laughed as she broke the embrace and gently squeezed Lottie's foot. "Let's go to the park, little one." _

_Her moment of inspiration was fleeting, though she was relieved she had told Logan. Right now, her priority was to be in the park with her husband and daughter. She'd write tonight, when Lottie woke her up at four in the morning for a feeding. It was when her best ideas struck anyway; sitting with Lottie, who gently sucked her bottle, looking up at Rory with her chocolate brown eyes. _

* * *

Rory couldn't wipe the goofy grin off her face as she reminisced about telling Logan she was writing a book. He had been nothing but supportive during the whole process and listened patiently as she bounced different ideas around and picked his literary brain. He would be so proud!

She didn't dare think of what Mitchum would say. She hoped he would find it up to HPG's quality to publish, but she quickly pushed that thought to the back of her mind. She had finished her novel and that was all that mattered. She let out another happy sigh and glanced at the clock – it was only two o'clock in the afternoon. She contemplated calling Logan with her good news, but decided it would be better to tell him personally later this afternoon.

"How 'bout the park, Miss Lottie?" she asked her daughter happily. Lottie clapped her chubby baby hands together and squealed in delight.

* * *

"Well, don't you two look smug," Logan laughed as he entered the living room from a long day of work. Rory was sitting on the floor with Lottie, playing with her blocks.

"Was Droopy Hat a no-show at the park?" he asked, amusement lacing his tone as he continued with his after work ritual, which consisted of loosening his tie, kicking off his shoes and fixing himself a tasty libation.

Droopy Hat referred to a little boy, about the same age as Lottie, who always seemed to be at the park whenever Rory and Lottie visited. Lottie was always a perfect angle, where as the little boy cried relentlessly as his nanny pushed him on the swings. His nanny also saw the need to dress him in a gray hat with flaps over the ears, even in the middle of summer, which inspired the nickname Rory had given him. Every day that Droopy Hat didn't show was considered a good day.

"No," Rory shook her head and Lottie followed her mother's lead. "He was there, unfortunately. And he has a new nanny," she added as an afterthought.

Logan scrunched up his nose. He would hate leaving Lot with a nanny all day. "That's a shame," he called out from the kitchen, "but maybe this one will have a better choice in head gear."

Rory let out a small laugh and she looked up as she heard her husband re-enter the living room. Her eyes followed him as she nonchalantly made his way over to them. This was one of her favorite times of the day. She loved to see him unwind when he came home after a stressful day at work.

His hair never quite as perfect as when he left in the morning, his shirt slightly wrinkled, the top buttons popped open, exposing the tiniest bit of his perfect chest and his tie casually slung around his neck. To her, this was his best look. Then he would continue his ritual. After kissing her, he'd get Lottie and become completely wrapped up in the world of his one year old girl.

Rory would then quietly sneak off to the kitchen to prepare dinner – which still consisted of take-out, or leftovers of when Logan cooked in the weekend - as Logan would put Lottie down for a nap, before the pair would share a meal together.

"Thanks," she said taking her wine glass from him and placing it on the coffee table. "I feel bad for Droopy Hat, though."

Logan hummed in agreement as he sat on the ground next to Rory, placing his scotch glass next to hers on the coffee table. "Yeah," he said softly, before leaning in and kissing her.

She practically smiled into his kiss, before deepening it. It was a kind of kiss that typically only took place out of Lottie's eyesight.

"Did a new coffee cart open up near the park?" Logan asked, as he pulled back from the kiss, intrigued by his wife's elated behavior.

"No," she laughed, "but they had a new blend. Lottie likes it."

Logan quickly stole a glance at his daughter. She looked normal, happily concentrating on stacking the blocks high as possible.

"She didn't taste," Rory sighed with an eye roll as she caught the look Logan was giving their daughter. Rory couldn't help that Lottie was absolutely besotted with her mother's signature drink. Every morning her chubby arms would flare around, desperately reaching for Rory's coffee cup.

"I let her smell it though," she added as an afterthought. "She liked it."

"Ace," he scolded gently, but she cut him off with a kiss. "So, I need to tell you something."

"Okay," Logan nodded, matching her excited behavior. He grabbed Lottie, pulling her onto his lap. For a brief moment he thought she was going to tell him he was pregnant, but he quickly realized that this was not a possibility since he saw the newly opened box of tampons in their bathroom this morning. "What's up?" he asked, noting that he felt a pang of disappointment.

"I finished my book!" His disappointment about the non-pregnancy vanished instantly as he face broke out in a huge, proud smile.

"Oh, Ace," he kissed her, "Really?"

She nibbled on her bottom lip subconsciously as she nodded conformingly. "All six hundred and thirty seven pages!"

He kissed her again; he was beyond impressed. 'That's amazing!"

She pressed a soft kiss on his cheek. "I couldn't have done it without you."

The two of them let themselves get caught up in the moment of Rory's achievement, but having a one-year old quickly put both of them back with both feet solidly on the ground.

Logan noticed Lottie's block getting dangerously close to the corner of her eye and he did not feel like a trip to the emergency room just yet. He swiftly removed the potentially blinding object from her hand, kissed the top of her head lightly and started talking to her like he always did at the end of the day.

This was Rory's cue to start warming up left-over's. "After I put her down, we'll celebrate," Logan told her with a wink, as he watched her leave the room.

* * *

"Ace," Logan practically yelled as he entered the kitchen with a wailing Lot in tow. "Ness won't stop crying!"

Rory and Logan had been blessed with an easygoing baby; however, once every so often little Lottie would rebel against her nap times. She grabbed the baby from Logan, gently hugging her against her chest. She patted Lot's back and whispered soothing words, but nothing seemed to help.

"Maybe she's hungry?" Logan suggested, holding his hand on her forehead to make sure she wasn't running a fever.

"She just ate," Rory replied, "And she doesn't need to be changed…"

"Maybe she doesn't want to be alone," Logan suggested and took the baby back from Rory.

"Could be," she answered.

She, Logan and Lottie made their way back to the nursery and the crying had subsided somewhat. However, as soon as Logan put her down she immediately started on round two.

Rory grabbed Lottie's favorite stuffed animal in hopes of calming her daughter down, but it didn't work. Logan continuously stroked her hair, but this only seemed to agitate the tiny tot more.

"This isn't working!" Logan yelled laughing, as he retracted his hand.

The pair looked at each other for a few moments, both waiting for an idea to strike.

"Oh, I know," Rory suggested suddenly. She walked to the dresser in the corner of the room and pulled out a tattered notebook from the bottom drawer.

"What's that?" Logan questioned as Rory calmly sat down in the rocking chair next to the crib.

"My early morning musings," Rory laughed and Logan shot her a confused look. "I wrote parts of my novel after Lottie's 4 am feed," she explained as he made his way over to her. He rested his hand on her shoulder as he took in page after page of perfect penmanship.

"Wow," he sighed impressed. Rory looked up at him and shot him a soft smile. "I would read it back to her, to hear how it sounded…"

"Did she like it?"

"It usually put her to sleep." A small laugh escaped them both. "

By all means, Ace, give it a try."

"Ssh, Lottie," she said lightly, "Mommy's here." She ran her hand over the crinkled pages of her notebook, quickly gazing over the words she had written over the course of the last few months and started.

"_October 14, 2010_

_As I write this date on the top right hand corner of my leather bound journal I can't help marvel about how far I've come. I suppose that if I had not kept these journals I would have gone insane. Don't get me wrong, I've always been a little crazy-in-a-good-way. I get that from my Mom, but I would have gone off-the-wall-mental had it not been for my pen and these journals." _

Lottie's crying let up almost instantly. "It's working, Ace," Logan smiled proudly as she continued to read.

_"But then again, who wouldn't have? The speed in which my life went from borderline Oprah special ("Campaign Trails: Spring Break for the Serious Crowd?) to over-the-top clichéd Lifetime Movie was unimaginable. And all of this without my beloved coffee, the first love of my life, my savior. Except, of course, during the Nine Months of Hell, by which I mean pregnancy. It turned out that pregnant women cannot drink caffeine. The husband made me give it up, but I replaced my coffee addiction with soda. I guess, in retrospect, I really should not have, but before you start to protest – the baby turned out perfectly fine." _

She paused, expecting Logan to make a wise crack about the coffee, but he didn't. Like Lottie, he found Rory's narrative tone soothing.

_"Caffeine and writing have always been consistent in my life, as has New York City. I'm a City Girl and no other city I visited during my brief career came close to the vibrancy the City possesses. Okay, I'll admit it – I'm a coffee addict and a New Yorkoholic. I'm addicted. Without sounding too corny, the City is just so magical. _

_One night, in particular, was magical. (Okay, so, maybe that was a little corny.)" _

Over the year, she had learned that this was Lottie's favorite part of her tale, and she had fallen into a habit with her daughter when she reached this part. She stopped briefly as she realized that she had never let Logan read what would turn out to be the first chapter of her novel. He nodded at her encouragingly. He wanted to hear more.

"Okay, Lot," she whispered, "Remember that Mommy is Ellie and Daddy is Noah. You are such a lucky girl to have your parents love story written down," she stuck her finger through the rails of the crib and felt a slight blush creep over her cheeks. She may have taken liberties with the exact recap of events, but she was always careful to keep the romance as close to the truth as possible. She always felt compelled to tell Lottie this.

She liked Logan being there, listening to her read, but she felt slightly embarrassed having him observing her ritual. He squeezed her shoulder gently and she effortlessly read the rest of the chapter.

_"It was the night of my first (and last) industry soiree. It was the night I saw the love of my life again. We'll call him Noah. He is the guy that started all of this. The journal-writing, I mean, in college. Though, I suppose he is responsible (at least partially) for the pregnancy, too. _

_Ah, the memories. Anyway, I hadn't seen Noah for two years. However, I knew he was working in the Industry (how could he not!), so there was a good chance that he was going to be there. Now, years later, I can admit that the mere thought of his presence there freaked me out, but that night I pretended to be a confident young woman. Screw it, what if he turned out to be there? I didn't care. _

_But, just in case, I made sure I looked incredible. My legs long and lean in black satin heels, my body sweet yet sexy in a strapless gray dress and my hair done up in a side bun with a black satin bow, adding a touch of sass. _

_It didn't matter, no matter how confident I pretended I was, or how good I knew I looked, nothing could have prepared me for what happened when I saw his electric blue eyes. It felt like the magic moment in a romantic comedy, though "When Noah met Ella" was drastically different, as I was drawn to him like a moth to a flame. _

_Hm. _

_Okay, maybe not like that, since moths DIE when they go to the flame. I knew I wasn't going to die. At least, not physically. _

_In any case, the attraction was mutual. Still, it would a lie to say I wasn't filled with doubt. How exactly does the conversation go between the couple that broke-up fresh out of college due to a rejected proposal and immediately split ways? _

_We ended up ditching the party and getting coffee (had you expected anything else?). I needed that coffee, probably more that night than in the previous two years for two reasons. _

_The first being I was talking to Noah for the first time in two years and he was looking at me with those electric eyes of his. The second being I had consumed three flutes of champagne prior to meeting Noah and they had begun to take effect. _

_So, Noah and I spent a few hours catching up and somehow the conversation carried us out of the coffee house, into the brisk New York Night and into a bar, where I ordered a shot and the mood changed. _

_Mixing emotions with liquor proved to be a dangerous combination and lust and anger quickly filled the air. Finally, I broke the tension and kissed him. Noah's lips immediately responded to mine, as he had kissed me many times before. This kiss was so powerful, so full of promise and hope. _

_I knew I was drunk that night in New York. It didn't matter. I knew then that this was the night that would kick start the rest of my life, and I thank my lucky stars that I had these journals with me every step of the way. _

_Reflectively Yours,_

_Ell. "_

The nursery was silent. Rory's method worked, little Lottie was fast asleep. She carefully closed her notebook and put it back in its rightful place. Logan whispered his goodnight's to his daughter, as did Rory, before he grabbed her hand and lead her out of the room.

"That was amazing, Ace," he complimented her and pulled her in for a passionate kiss.

"Oh, it's just…" she tried to wave his compliments away humbly but he wasn't having it. He kissed her once more and it quickly deepened. The couple made their way down the hallway, stopping every once in a while to steal a quick kiss or toss an offending piece of clothing to the side. They stumbled into their bedroom and let themselves fall on the bed as he showered her with loving kisses.

They had shared many nights in New York, London, Lumley Castle, Stars Hallow and Hartford since that night of the soiree and yet, tonight, it was just as spectacular as their first New York Night.

-THE END -

* * *


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